Heptagonal Ring
by EntropyWing
Summary: Eight eeveelutions try to live their daily lives in a peculiar metropolis somewhat obsessed with number seven, located in the middle of a faraway desert. Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled pokémon seems to be threatening the long-lasting stability of the region...
1. History

Let me tell you a story.

First of all, you might be wondering who I am. I'm but a humble narrator that wants to tell a story that took place twenty-one years ago. My identity is of no relevance whatsoever to this tale, for I'm not the protagonist, or even an important character at all. I'm merely a background noise in this wonderful sonata of life, adventure, emotion, love-

Well, okay, okay, maybe I'm exaggerating all this a tiny little bit, but isn't that the job of a good troubadour after all? Livening up stories, making them seem more exciting and breathtaking?

This is a story about eight pokémon. Eight eeveelutions, as many call them. Eight individuals whose paths become inevitably intertwined by the whimsical ties of fate that-

Mmh, I think it'd be better if I just started with the story already, wouldn't you say? How about we begin with something not too demanding, like an introduction?

Let us thus begin our tale.

* * *

><p>"Seven."<p>

"Mmh? Seven?"

"Why, yes, seven."

An Umbreon advanced slowly, almost dragging, showing a facial expression that could only be interpreted as boredom. He fired quick glances in random directions, as if desperately trying to find anything even remotely interesting to distract himself. His gaze eventually rested on the crystal walls of the tunnel they were traveling through. While they were transparent, the sight behind them was too monotonous to catch his attention.

Sand. Uncountable particles of sand whirling in the wind, forming what was typically known as a sandstorm. This vision might have enticed him when he was little, but living in the middle of a desert had desensitized him to pretty much anything that had to do with sand.

He looked at the Espeon by his side, which was walking at an only slightly faster speed. While he didn't look as bored as the Umbreon, he wasn't exactly radiating joyousness either. The black canine thought having a little chat could help them kill time.

"Seven, uh? What about it?"

"No other number represents harmony with such an unquestionable degree of perfection," the Espeon proudly stated.

"Harmony…" the Umbreon repeated absentmindedly. Unlike the Espeon, he didn't really seem interested in the topic of conversation. All he wanted was to occupy his mind with something, anything, until they reached their destination. "Oh, sure. I've heard some folks say the number seven brings good luck. Is that what you mean?"

The Espeon had a feeble laugh. "Skoll, surely you don't believe those outdated superstitions, do you? As a concept, luck doesn't exist."

"Whatever you say, Lumis." The Umbreon nodded his head at his partner, not wishing to have an argument with him. "Then what's so special about that number?"

"For starters, seven is a prime number. It's only divisible by one and itself."

"So?"

"You can't form groups when you have seven members."

"And… that's a good thing, somehow?" Skoll wondered. He wasn't really paying much attention. "Groups are suddenly the root of all evils in the world, that's a thing now. You should've warned me, put up a sticky note or something."

Lumis snickered. "Mh, it's not that they're bad per se, but they're the cause of all conflicts."

"Hey, I know big groups ain't your thing, but you're kinda blowing this outta proportion, pal."

"Think about it like this: when there's only one individual there's no possible conflict. You cannot argue with yourself and you can assume control of all resources, since no one will complain."

Skoll shrugged, staring at the crystal walls with a mix of disinterest and fatigue. "Last time I checked there was more than one creature living in this world, so that's kind of a moot point."

"Precisely. There are multiple individuals with different needs and desires, so it's impossible to pretend to join them all under one banner. However, many of those creatures will have similar objectives, so they can at least associate among themselves."

"Like the Azure Nightingale?" Skoll proposed, even if only to shut him up for a short while.

"Indeed, our node is an example of what I'm explaining," Lumis said with a wide smile, seemingly happy that his friend was paying attention. "Since we all have similar goals we join up together."

"But there are other nodes…"

"And therein lies the problem," Lumis said, his expression turning sour. "Other nodes will have different objectives from ours and since resources are limited… well, that's a recipe for conflict if I've ever seen one."

"Especially in the middle of the desert," Skoll noted. While he wasn't terribly interested in the topic of conversation, it at least helped pass time. "By the way, how did we jump from talking about number seven to the nodes?"

"How many nodes are there?"

"Uh, sev-Oh, damn." Skoll looked perplexed, much to Lumis' amusement. "Wait, so that's all it's about? Number seven is special only because it coincides with the number of nodes? Dude, I was half expecting you to summon Arceus himself here to speak about the awesomeness that is number seven."

"It's the other way around, actually. There are seven nodes because seven is a special number," Lumis explained. Skoll seemed to be showing interest in the matter, which the Espeon didn't mind in the slightest. It was unusual for his ebony friend to show any enthusiasm at all towards his inferences, and the psychic cat had no intention of complaining. "Why don't we start with the basics? The most basic case would be the one with only two bands."

"Like good versus evil?" Skoll asked, receiving a weak nod from the feline. "Ha! But the bad guys always lose!"

"But in real life who are the… 'bad guys', as you inventively call them?" Lumis question made the Umbreon raise an eyebrow. "Remember: everyone is just trying to survive. There are no angels or devils, just different creatures with different ideals, most of which are actually acceptable. Can you really say your way of seeing life is better or worse than anyone else's?"

"But… uh…" Skoll seemed slightly confused and unsure of what to say. "What point are you trying to make, pal?"

Lumis was too drowned in his own theories to even hear him. "Three is not much different. Two sides could easily gang up on the third one, and once this third party is eliminated we'd be back to having two warring groups like before." Skoll was starting to tune out, but that didn't deter Lumis from talking. "Partitions such as four, six or eight are notably dangerous, since the groups can easily create coalitions and alliances between themselves. Four nodes could be divided in two groups of two, six nodes in three groups of two or even two groups of three, and don't even get me started on an eight nodes arrangement! If two opposing sides can cause harm, the effect only magnifies for additional sides. "

Skoll was no longer paying attention to what his friend was saying, treating it as some sort of background noise. "I see, I see."

While it was obvious Skoll had stopped listening to him a while ago, Lumis kept on talking anyway. "The solution lies in prime numbers, since they can't be divided. I guess five and eleven would be acceptable but they would be, in my personal opinion, too few and too many nodes respectively. Seven seems like a much more appropriate middle. Of course, this is just my opinion. What's your view on the matter?"

Skoll noticed he was being asked due to the inquisitive tone his friend had suddenly adopted. "Ah… Yes, of course."

Lumis sighed, looking down. "I'm boring you, right?"

"Nah…" Skoll thought he wasn't lying, technically. Lumis couldn't bore him if he wasn't listening. "I mean, it's true that sometimes you kinda tend to… you know, go on and on and on about the same thing..."

"My mistake, sorry." Lumis lowered his head, subconsciously slowing down a bit.

"Aw, c'mon pal, it's not that bad…" Skoll reassured him. "Really, it's not like you're boring, I just don't know much stuff outside of battling. Kicking, biting and maybe entertaining the ladies, that's all I know about."

"No, it's alright. I'm the one that's a researcher, so this is to be expected of me. You're a defender, your strong point is supposed to be fighting."

"At any rate, it seems like we're almost at our destination now," Skoll cheerily said, raising his head to get a better view of what was in front of him. Effectively, the crystal tunnel was reaching its end, culminating in some sort of colossal crystal dome of a soft green hue ahead of them.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm gonna launch my attack!" shouted a Leafeon, staring at a Scizor in front of her with a mix of anticipation and mischievousness in her eyes.<p>

The steel-armored insect chuckled. "Hint: don't tell an enemy you're going to attack for better effect!"

The Leafeon stuck her tongue out at the bug playfully, unable to hide an impish grin. "Duh, I know! But this is just practice!"

"Well, bring it!" defied the Scizor, clasping his metallic claws together and adopting a defensive pose.

Without wasting a second, the Leafeon unleashed a flurry of sharp leaves towards the Scizor. Being a veteran fighter, the insect easily identified the move used as Razor Leaf, which made him show a confident smirk. While he was fast enough to avoid it, he decided it just wasn't worth it; the combination of both of his types made him impervious to attacks of the plant-type.

The leaves impacted directly against his claws and armor but left not a single scar, slowly falling to the floor right afterwards. This forced an equal parts disappointed and bewildered moan from the Leafeon. "Hey, c'mon, Higure! If I had a steel armor I'd be invincible too!"

The Scizor had a knowing grin. "But you don't, Ivy. That's why we're training."

She turned her head sideways, groaning. "Bah… You know I'm strong enough already! Dad is a worrywart, that's all."

Higure brought one of his claws behind his head, in an attempt to scratch it. "Well, okay, he worries about you two. Nothing wrong with that."

"But he doesn't have to worry _that_ much," she further complained. "I think I'm strong enough to manage in my own and even protect Saf if needed."

A sigh escaped the Scizor's mouth. "You are somewhat strong, I'll give you that. But you shouldn't let that confidence cloud your judgment."

Ivy lay quietly on the ground beneath her, seemingly tired of her training. "I don't even know why we bother. It's not like anything ever happens, and even if it did we'd still have you and your guys to protect us."

"It pays to be well prepared," Higure said in a wisely sounding voice. "As a daughter of our node's leader, you must not forget your responsab-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She let a yawn escape her maw. "I think we should stop the training for today."

Higure crossed his arms, chuckling. "Tired already?"

"A bit." Ivy rose up on all fours and stretched out all she could, as if she had just woken up. As much as she tried to hide it, the fact that she was quite tired was quite evident to anyone with eyes. "I think I'm gonna see Saf."

"Safira, you mean?" Higure couldn't help but draw a grin, finding it somewhat endearing that she used that shortened name to refer to her sister. "She must be in the library at this hour, right?"

"And at any other hour of the waking day." Ivy couldn't help but laugh. Although she was exaggerating, it was truth that her sister spent way too much time for her tastes in that library. She simply couldn't comprehend how she could stay in front of a book for so long without getting bored. "Well, I'm going. Bye, Higure!"

While she was leaving the room, Higure waved a claw at her. "Bye, Ivy. Tell Safira I said hi. Oh, and take care!"

"Will do!"

She suppressed a sigh as best as she could. 'And take care'. His words resonated in her mind. Yeah, because there are _so_ many dangers in the short path to the library_. _Maybe I'll trip on a Dwebble and dirty my fur, woe me! She smirked at her own mental commentary, but she couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed. Dad worries too much, she thought.

Wait, at this point you might be wondering how is it that I seem to know what these characters are thinking. I will simply say that I'm the kind of pokémon who can… inquire into the minds of others. And with this unrelated fact out-of-the-way, let's resume our tale.

As the Leafeon slowly walked in direction to the library, she stared upwards in an attempt to distract herself. She was under an all-encompassing cupule of shorts made of greenish crystal. At the other side of the cupule rested an immerse desert that extended as far as her eyes could see. The crystalline material that composed the barrier was translucent enough to let one see the desert behind it, but also thick enough to prevent the raging sandstorm from crashing inside.

She sighed, bored. The same everyday sight. Nothing worth mentioning.

Eventually, she reached a massive building in the interior of the crystal dome. That wasn't necessarily unusual, there were many buildings of different sizes constructed inside the dome, but this one in particular almost doubled every other one in size. A hanging cartel that read 'Beryl Calandra Library' made it easy to identify what kind of building this was. Before firing a last glance at the green crystal walls of the dome above her, she entered inside.

The Leafeon walked swiftly through the corridors of the library, casually glancing at the variety of pokémon reading books around her. As usual, the 'economics' section was the most crowded one, but she knew that was a standard in her node. At least, she found the blue-furred Glaceon that she called 'sister'.

"Hey, Saf!" Ivy shouted in a somewhat inappropriate tone for a library, which got her a few angry glares.

"S-Sis…" Safira responded in a far quieter, if startled, voice. She put down the book she was reading in the table before her, before turning again to her sister. "Are you back from your training with Mr. Higure already?"

Before answering, Ivy briefly checked the title of the book her sister was reading: 'Physicochemical proprieties and characteristics of Adamantium'. How cute and appropriate for a girl her age, she thought.

"I was a lil' bit tired, so I decided to end the training early. Then I decided to come and check on you." She took a few steps forward, sitting beside her younger relative. "Oh, what are you reading? What is this about exactly?"

"U-Um…" A weak blush adorned her cheeks as she stared at the book in front of her. "I-It's just… you know, about Adamantium…" She giggled nervously while closing the book. "I-I guess it's a bit silly…"

Ivy shot her a bewildered look. "What? No, why?"

"Well, it's, um…" The Glaceon stood silent for a few seconds before shrugging. "I-I mean, as one of the daughters of the leader of the Beryl Calandra, I guess I should be learning more about… mercantile topics. This kind of information is kinda useless to me, a waste of time…"

"Don't say that," Ivy reprimanded, trying to keep her tone low. "You like these weird sciencey things, don't you?" Her sister silently nodded. "Then it's not a waste of time. Plus, if we wanna be good merchants, we should at least know what we're selling, right?"

Ivy nudged her sibling, which she seemed to appreciate. "I-I guess."

After a little chat, they decided to leave the library and come back to what they called home. They continued talking about a variety of inconsequential everyday topics through the way.

* * *

><p>"Look, master!" a Sylveon enthusiastically shouted. She was running at a frantic speed, with a big smile plastered all over her face.<p>

"W-Wait for me…" After her dragged a Galvantula, who was moving at a noticeably lower speed in spite of his higher number of legs.

"It's a Seedot! Holy Articuno, it's a real Seedot!" She promptly positioned herself in front of the now quivering Seedot in question and proceeded to feel it with her ribbon-like appendages, as if she were scouting an item for defects. "Omigosh, I've never seen a real Seedot before! It looks just like in my books, it's like an acorn with feet! Awww, and it looks very happy to see me too, master!"

"Actually, I'd say that's a face of fear, Kizuna," the Galvantula said as he approached them, noticing the Seedot sending him glances that seemed to say 'Please help me!'.

"Wha-Why? Don't be scared, little guy! There's nothing to fear from big sis!" the Sylveon said in an attempt to reassure the Seedot. It may have worked if it weren't because she had lowered her head excessively close to the Seedot's, her face been a mere inches away. To add insult to injury, her feelers were progressively wrapping around the acorn pokémon. "You're soooo glossy! I've read that that happens to your species when they ingest too much water! Is it true?"

The Seedot only managed to mumble an incomprehensible sound. Its face was so red that anyone would have thought it was a shiny. It looked pleadingly to the Galvantula, as if begging him to make her stop. The spider sighed in exasperation.

"Oh, I've also read that you guys polish your bodies with leaves once a day! Have you done that today yet? And if not, can I see how you polish your body, pretty please?"

"Kizuna, enough!" the electric tarantula sternly reprimanded her. The Seedot took the opportunity to flee at a velocity that far exceeded that of any acorn.

"Whoa, how can it run so fast with only a base speed of 30?" Kizuna gaped at the escaping Seedot before turning her face back to the Galvantula with an angry stare. "And what was that for, anyway? That's not fair, Master Tesla! I was here having some laughs with my new friend and you scared it away!"

"Kizuna, for the love of… That poor Seedot was terrified!"

"Was not!"

"Ugh…" Tesla shook his head side to side in what seemed to be a mixture of disappointment and irritation, although it was hard to tell on a bug. "Kizuna, you really need to learn some basic social rules. You can't get so close to someone you just met!"

The Sylveon stubbornly shook her head. "I wasn't close."

"Your faces were inches apart."

"Yes, but our faces weren't in contact, so that doesn't count as close!" Her complaint only made the spider heave a deep sigh. "Plus, if I don't get close, _which I totally didn't by the way_, then I can't properly use my ribbons to feel my new friends!"

"That's the other thing…" Tesla gave her an angry glare. It would be normally difficult to tell due to his arachnoid compound eyes, but Kizuna had seen that expression enough times to identify it without trouble. "You can't just go around wrapping other pokémon with your bows!"

"Y-You're telling me n-not to use my bows?!" The Sylveon audibly gasped. "B-But they're my eyes and my ears and my everything!"

Tesla sighed once again. "Look, I understand that you're very excited that you can finally… come to this place. But you still have to respect some basic rules that make the foundation of society as a whole and…" He stopped as soon as he noticed that the Sylveon he was addressing was happily looking through a crystal wall and not paying attention.

"Master, look! So much sand! It's everywhere!"

"Well, as you already know, the Heptagonal Ring is in the middle of a desert…" Tesla slowly approached her, sounding tired and a bit upset. "I'm starting to wonder if coming here so soon was a good idea. Since you were my greatest pupil I thought you would be ready, but your manners are seriously making me rethink this… Perhaps we should return to the Observatory for now, and come back here after you've received more lessons."

"Wha-? Nononononono!" Kizuna shook her head violently, to the point of hurting her own neck a little bit in the process. "We just left, we can't return so soon! I still haven't even met any male eev-!" She caught herself, promptly shutting her mouth.

However, it was too late, the Galvantula easily inferred what she was going to say, which caused him to frown. "Kizuna, Kizuna, Kizuna… Please, _please_, tell me that the reason you wanted to come here wasn't only to find yourself a mate."

"Well, of course it wasn't the _only_ reason." She stood pensive for a second. "Let me rephrase that. That wasn't the reason _at all_. Honest to Arce-no, honest to Shaymin. Shaymin's cuter."

She remained silent under the scrutinizing gaze of her master, trying to look as innocent as possible. In spite of all the frilly bows and pink tones on her, it was proving to be notoriously difficult.

"I guess you're at that age. I'll never understand you mammals and your hormones…" Tesla said in a melancholic voice. Being an insect is much easier and simple, he thought. "Well, look, I don't really care what you do with your free time, but don't forget why we're here."

Now it was the Sylveon's time to sigh. "Getting first-hand experience of how the world works, so I can do my job better," she said in a monotonous parrot-like voice.

"Yes, good." For once, Tesla drew a smile. Or at least the arachnid equivalent of one. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll make an excellent chronicler."

Kizuna nodded at him with an obvious smile adorning her face. "No problem, master! I don't forget my duties easily. I don't forget anything easily."

After their conversation they kept walking on, although in the Sylveon's case, it was more like running. She wondered what kind of new pokémon she would find next, letting her imagination run wild with the possibilities.

* * *

><p>"…but it's not that far anyway. It should take us, what, six to seven hours walking? We'll reach it today, at the very least."<p>

"I know. What I don't understand is why I have to go."

A Flareon and a Jolteon were conversing with each other as they leisurely strolled through a mostly empty area.

The Flareon quickly noticed the lack of pokémon in the proximities, "Hey, Zephyr?"

"Yes, Agni?"

"I was wondering why this street was so desolated. You usually see more people around these places."

The Jolteon shrugged. "I wouldn't know. You're the one who lives here." He suddenly stopped and pointed a paw to his left. "But maybe that has something to do with it."

Agni looked at the direction pointed by his companion, and the sight made him go wide-eyed. There was an assortment of pokémon of all kinds reunited in a semicircle formation, bigger than any group he had ever seen. Wondering the cause of this multitude, the duo approached the concentration and sat down.

At the center of the congregation of people rested a rectangular wooden platform. On top of it, an assortment of various pokémon were moving around in a very dramatic and over-the-top kind of way. The melodramatic fashion in which they spoke, plus the fact that most of them seemed to be wearing some form of costume, made it quite evident that it was some kind of theatrical spectacle.

"Oh, this must be one of those travelling troupes from the Lilac Kiwi," explained Zephyr. "I've heard they're quite good, but I had never had the luck of seeing one of their spectacles in person."

"Theatre? Nothing to see here, then."

Agni rose up in an attempt to leave, but Zephyr remained static in his seat. "Whoa, where's the haste? We can reach the Beryl Calandra later today, it's not gonna run away or anything."

"But…"

"C'mon, let's watch this. We have time." Zephyr eyed his partner expectantly, not bothering to hide a wide grin. The Flareon just sighed and sat by his side again. "That's my cousin! Maybe this is fun, who knows."

On top of the rectangular scenario stood a jolly Ludicolo, in front of a variety of costumed pokémon dancing around what seemed to be some kind of rock. Since this Ludicolo wasn't interacting with anyone else and didn't even have a costume, it could be inferred that he was acting as a commentator or narrator of sorts for the function.

"…our wise ancestors quickly noticed the wonderful proprieties of the Adamantium, and started to think of the fantastic things they could do with it!" he said in particularly cheery voice. Just hearing his voice was enough to raise one's spirits.

The Ludicolo stepped aside, granting view to the pokémon that were behind him. A Sandshrew stepped forward and started speaking in an exaggerated rough voice. "When this metal is heated, it becomes invulnerable to the dangers of the desert! No sandstorm or strong winds can possibly breach it! And since it is so malleable, we can easily create any kind of buildings to our liking!"

The Sandshrew was pointing at some prop that looked like a strange mixture between a rock, a metal and a crystal.

"Hey, that looks a lot like Adamantium," Zephyr noted. "This must be a retelling of the story of the founders of the Heptagonal Ring."

Agni nodded with obvious disinterest. "A history lesson. Great."

"It's probably to commemorate the foundation of the Heptagonal Ring, especially considering it'll be its 7777th anniversary in 5 days. There's gonna be a big party in the Conflux with all the nodes and everything," Zephyr said, but Agni didn't seem to be paying much attention. It's not like he didn't know already.

They noticed that the Sandshrew had some kind of red and yellow arc with spikes on its back. He wasn't the only one wearing something; all of the actors were costumed with different kinds of accessories.

A Scrafty stepped forward next. He was covering his red mohawk with a similarly red helmet adorned with a yellow axe on top of it, highly reminiscent of that of a Bisharp. He proceeded to speak. "We shall create a society around a set of fair and just rules that everyone will follow! Thanks to this fantastic metal, the Adamantium, we will be able to create a true utopia free of crime and mischief!"

"Hold!" shouted a Furret. This one was wearing a yellow life vest around its neck that extended down to its waist. "What is justice without compassion? That is no utopia, my friend, that is nothing if a tyranny! If we want a true utopia, kindness must be the cornerstone we build upon!"

"It seems we cannot reach an understanding," said a Simipour in a jovial voice, donning a pyramidal green hat. "But that is no problem, my dear comrades, for we can just share this precious Adamantium with each other! Each shall take home a portion of it, and then everyone will just have to follow their own rules! That way no one will have to impose their rules over others!"

"Alas, I am afraid that is not possible," a Gastly interjected. Being a ghost, it lacked any kind of accessory, but it was surrounded by four Beldum in a way similar to the legs of a Metagross. "I have studied the Adamantium, and I regret to say that it is only stable in a highly arid climate such as the one in this desert. If we were to leave this place with it, it would surely rust, becoming useless! I am afraid our debate must continue."

The Ludicolo stepped in front of the other actors again, reclaiming his role as narrator. "Our ancestors could not decide what to do with this magnificent metal they had found! What a tragedy! They argued and argued and argued… But they soon realized that this conflict wouldn't get them anywhere. If they wanted to make the most of the fascinating Adamantium, they needed to put their differences aside and work together!"

Back at the audience, Agni sighed. "How can people like this?"

Zephyr chuckled softly, low enough not to bother the other spectators. "I know it's too idealistic and cliché, but that's more or less what happened."

"No. They didn't 'put their differences aside and worked together', they simply realized that they were about to get into an open war, so they sucked up to each other because they all were scared of losing and didn't want to give up on the Adamantium."

"Different interpretations of the same event. The final result was the same anyway."

The Ludicolo's voice brought them back to the play. "They decided to use the crystalline Adamantium to create a massive gallery of tunnels in the middle of the dessert. Each of these tunnels would connect two gigantic Adamantium domes of different colors. Each of these domes, which would come to be known as 'nodes', would house each of the different ideals that our ancestors defended." He made a little dance that seemed out of place in the middle of the show, perhaps in an attempt to liven it up. "Since there were seven ancestors, seven nodes were built, resulting in a heptagonal structure in the middle of the desert. This is what we know today as the 'Heptagonal Ring'. The audience may think this name sounds familiar. Surely, that is because that's where you all are living in!"

Many members in the audience burst out laughing, much to the Flareon's chagrin, as evidenced by the scowl present in his face. "That was supposed to be funny? And when is this gonna end, anyway?"

"It should end soon," Zephyr said in an effort to pacify his cousin, although he really had no idea due to not having previous experience with stage plays of this troupe. "If it is like in the history books now comes the best part, when all of the ancestors found each of the seven nodes."

Much to his delight, he was right. Seven actors formed a line, stepping forward one at a time.

The first was the Scrafty wearing a Bisharp helmet. "I, Kirmizi the Bisharp, shall found the Garnet Oriole, first node, which shall be red just like its founder! We shall create the laws that will regulate all of the nodes, to assure that the relationships between the nodes remain fair and just! We shall be the police and judges of the Heptagonal Ring!"

The second was the Furret with the live vest. "I, Turuncu the Floatzel, shall found the Coral Sittella, second node, which shall be orange just like its founder! We shall strive to keep peace on all of the nodes, and our compassion and mercy will assure that no one is treated in a heartless or cruel manner! We shall be the peacekeepers and mediators of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Next one was the Sandshrew with the spiked red and yellow arc on its back. "I, Sari the Typhlosion, shall found the Amber Crane, third node, which shall be yellow just like its founder! We shall strive to offer whichever services are needed, whether it is building, preparing materials or cultivating and collecting the aliments that we will need to survive in this hostile desert! We shall be the architects, metalworkers and farmers of the Heptagonal Ring!"

"That's your node, the Amber Crane, and the place we are at right now," Zephyr commented to the Flareon by his side.

Agni gave him a stare that seemed to say 'Duh'.

The fourth actor to step forward was the Simipour donning a pyramid-shaped hat. "I, Yesil the Cacturne, shall found the Beryl Calandra, fourth node, which shall be green just like its founder! We shall make sure that all nodes receive the resources they need and encourage commerce, reinforcing the bonds between the nodes! We shall be the merchants and transporters of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Next in line was the Gastly, still surrounded by four Beldum. "I, Mavi the Metagross, shall found the Azure Nightingale, fifth node, which shall be blue just like its founder! We shall bring illumination and knowledge to the inhabitants of the nodes, bolstering all known sciences! We shall be the scientists, scholars and medics of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Agni struggled to keep a yawn from escaping his mouth. "Fifth node? Then the next one is yours, isn't it?"

"You got it," Zephyr confirmed with a proud grin.

Just like they had guessed, the sixth actor took a step forward. This one was a little Gible wearing long fake fins on its arms as well as a big dorsal spin, apparently emulating its final evolution. "I, Lacivert the Garchomp, shall found the Cerulean Warbler, sixth node, which shall be indigo just like its founder! We shall offer our strength to those who need it and protect the weak from the scoundrels that dare disturb the harmony of the nodes! We shall be the defenders and bodyguards of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Finally, the last of the actors moved forward, sporting a kind and warm smile as she did. As soon as she stopped in front of the scenario, the public gave her a big ovation, seeming quite thrilled of seeing her.

"These morons… She hasn't even said anything yet," Agni complained to his cousin. "What's the matter? It's that Vaporeon famous or something?"

The Jolteon simply shrugged, not knowing the motive of the public's enthusiasm either. "I already told you I've never seen one of their spectacles."

On closer examination, this Vaporeon was wearing a purple witch's hat, a corresponding purple cloak and even a red collar around her neck. She easily had the more complex of all the costumes, a quick glance was more than enough to determine with certainty what pokémon the costume corresponded to.

"I am the mischievous Mor, the lovable Mismagius trickster! I will found the seventh and last node, the Lilac Kiwi, and it will be of this elegant violet shade of yours truly!" She suddenly jumped and made a swift pirouette mid-air, showing quite some dexterity for a four-legged creature. The public cheered at this. "With the help of your six nodes, my dear friends, I'm sure we will live a life full of justice and peace, where the innocent will be protected and everyone will have access to any resource they might need! But, what would be of life without fun and entertainment?"

The group behind her started executing a series of complex but visually stunning acrobatics. In a flash, the Vaporeon jumped backwards to the center of the group, somehow removing her costume in the process.

"And that's why the Lilac Kiwi is here! We will make sure that no one in any of the seven nodes is ever bored! We will bring you entertainment and delight of the best quality! We shall be the actors, artists and entertainers of the Heptagonal Ring!"

The audience exploded in a collective applause, many of them getting up from their seats. The actors made a polite reverence to the viewers, signaling the end of the play. Everywhere you looked you could see content smiles in the faces of everyone, with the notable exception of a particular Flareon that seemed bored out of his mind. The Jolteon by his side looked much more jubilant in comparison, although not as much as the rest of the public.

The fire eeveelution stood up and stretched out, glad that the play had ended and ready to resume his trip. The electric-type one followed him after.

On the way, Zephyr gave his relative an impish smirk. "Hey, the Vaporeon wasn't half bad, uh?"

Agni nodded reluctantly. "I guess she had some theatrical talent."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Agni couldn't decide whether to shake his head or sigh. He finally settled for both. "Who cares? Yeah, she's kinda cute, but she's from those Lilac Kiwi deadbeats. You want nothing to do with those slackers."

"Oh, I'll have you know we're not slackers, mister Flareon."

Their attentions were immediately drawn to the fish-tailed pokémon that was now walking by their side, followed by the pokémon that were previously on the scenario, except this time they were costume-less. The Ludicolo carried a bag presumably containing the costumes they had previously worn for the play.

Her colleagues preferred to remain silent, but the Vaporeon kept speaking. "We spend a lot of time practicing and perfecting our technique. What you saw back there was only the culmination of hours upon hours of rehearsals. We put a lot of effort into every play."

"I'm sure you do." The Flareon's tone made it sound insincere, but that was probably his intention. "Having to talk, and walk and jump... Sounds difficult."

"Hey now, cut them some slack." Zephyr promptly tried to intervene, trying to ease the tension growing between the two. The other members of the troupe were also starting to glare at his cousin, and he didn't want this to escalate further. "I've never seen one of their spectacles before and I thought it was kind of cool, miss… uh…"

The Ludicolo quickly interjected. "Amigos, she's the star of our show, Scylla the Genteel Mermaid!" he said in an exorbitant and over-the-top manner.

She gave him a disapproving look. "Not this again…"

But the jolly duck ignored her completely. "Surely you two know her, right, amigos? The Genteel Mermaid is famous in all nodes-no, in all nations of the world!"

Agni and Zephyr shared a brief look of puzzlement that served to confirm that neither knew who the Vaporeon was. The Jolteon scratched his head, staring at her deeply. "Genteel Mermaid, you say…? That… maybe… I might've heard that name in a passing manner, I think. Can't say for sure." He turned to the Flareon, "And you, Agni?"

He answered with a shake of head. "First time I hear that title."

"Wait, are you certain of that, amigos?" Not only the Ludicolo, but the rest of team stared at them wide-eyed.

Unlike the rest of her troupe, Scylla actually looked quite enthusiastic. "You mean it? You guys seriously haven't heard of me?"

Zephyr squinted. "Why… do you look so happy, exactly?"

"Well, not to boast or anything, but I'm pretty popular among the youth, so it's nice to see people in my age branch that don't jump at me asking for autographs for once," she admitted with a merry grin. "Especially guys. I'm most popular with the male public for some reason."

Zephyr nudged Agni. "I wonder why, uh?"

The Flareon had to make use of all of his willpower to keep from sighing. "Then you'll like to hear that we have no interest in you whatsoever."

Although he meant that in a derisive way, she just giggled coyly. "Now, now, don't tell me that, or I might be tempted to spend all of my free time with you guys."

Agni was tiring of the chit-chat. Plus, he had a job to do, he couldn't be late. "Look, we'd love to stay and chat but…"

"Then, let's do just that!" Scylla cheerfully proposed. "Our troupe isn't really in any haste."

"…but we have to get to the Beryl Calandra today. It's not that far, but if we wanna get there before night falls, we should start moving soon."

The Ludicolo started dancing. "The Beryl Calandra, muchacho? That's precisely our next destination!"

"Well, if we're going to the same place, we might as well go together!" Zephyr suggested.

The whole troupe, including the Vaporeon, agreed without objection. "The more the merrier!"

Agni was the only one that didn't look all too happy. In fact, his expression clearly showed exasperation. "Hey, we don't have time to play and fool around! We're supposed to be making a transaction at the Beryl Calandra today!"

"So? We'll definitely reach that node today," Zephyr said trying to persuade his stubborn cousin. "What's wrong with having some company for the duration of the travel? These guys look like a fun bunch."

Agni didn't feel like discussing. He just wanted to resume his journey already, or he would risk actually getting late. He decided to simply nod without saying anything and started walking in direction to the entrance to the crystalline tunnel that would lead them to the Beryl Calandra. The others just followed after him, the Jolteon in particular closing his eyes and shaking his head in a 'What am I going to do with you' manner. Although he admired his cousin's formality and earnestness, he thought it went too far sometimes.

Meanwhile, the Vaporeon eyed the duo with what could be called curiosity, and maybe even mild interest. The rest of her troupe was dancing and talking about trivial matters with each other.

It didn't take them long to reach the relatively long tunnel of crystal-like Adamantium walls that would eventually lead them into the fourth of the nodes, the green-colored Beryl Calandra.


	2. Visitor

Welcome back.

It's said that it is villains who drive the conflict of a story, for they force the heroes to overcome obstacles and thus force them to develop as characters. However, never in my many millennia of life have I seen a pokémon I would really qualify as a 'villain'.

Because what is an antagonist, after all? Isn't it just the protagonist of another story? Do we consider it an antagonist because of its evil and misguided actions, or simply because they ultimately lost? Perhaps these eeveelutions are the antagonists of someone else's story.

Oh, but I digress…

Now, let us resume our tale.

* * *

><p>"…gone to find a hostel for the night. It's kind of late, so we'll have to pass the night in this node."<p>

A Vaporeon was casually talking with a Flareon and a Jolteon while they walked under the green-colored crystal dome that served as the walls for the so called Beryl Calandra. This node was one of the most common destinations for travelers all around the Heptagonal Ring, and the reason for this was simple: the Beryl Calandra held the biggest market in the land and was considered the hub of trading in the whole Heptagonal Ring.

This, precisely, was the reason for their visit. The Flareon had set an appointment for a trade, and he had arrived slightly later than he had hoped.

"So your troupe will book some rooms for us too?" Zephyr asked to the Vaporeon next to him, who answered with a quick nod. "Damn, that's nice of them."

"Well, it's not like it's really necessary. There's always more than enough vacant rooms," Scylla said. "Although, of course, that doesn't guarantee their quality."

The Flareon yawned. "As long as they have beds…"

Agni's tone of voice showed hints of irritation, and although this was mainly due to being late to his rendezvous, the Vaporeon interpreted it differently. "Uh, I'm not a burden or anything to you guys, am I?"

"Ah? Well, no, it's not like that… But, now that you mention it, why aren't you with the rest of your troupe? I mean, what are they gonna do after checking the hostel?"

"They usually go sightseeing around the node."

Zephyr looked around him. "That must be nice, travelling around the Heptagonal Ring and getting to see all the nodes."

"Well, yes… But it gets boring after a while. That's why I decided to come with you two. You said you were gonna do a trade or something, right? I've never seen one," Scylla said with a smile full of expectation.

Agni shrugged. "You aren't missing much. We just settle on what items we are going to trade and for what price, and walk back home."

She lowered her ears. "Oh… That sounds kinda boring."

"It is. Wouldn't it be more fun to you to scout the place with your troupe?"

"I've been to all of the nodes, and there's not much to see here in the Beryl Calandra. The market is interesting, I guess, and you can see a lot of different flying pokémon transporting all kinds of items, but I figured it would be more fun following you two around."

Scylla gave them a smile, which Zephyr amiably reciprocated, while Agni simply nodded. While the Flareon wasn't exactly enthusiastic about her presence, he didn't quite mind her company either. It was something akin to indifference; he knew they would part ways the next day so he didn't pay her much attention. He had met many different pokémon in his short travels to the Beryl Calandra and she wasn't any different, although it was peculiar to find someone of his own species.

A few moments later, Agni stopped abruptly after noticing a duo of eeveelutions not far from his position. He started approaching them. "An Umbreon and Espeon, both male. That must be them."

The both of them looked bored out of their minds, but perked up upon seeing the Flareon approaching them.

"A male Flareon guarded by a male Jolteon. Fits the description of the vendor," Lumis mentioned to his black-furred friend.

Skoll nodded. "Yup, that must be 'em all right, though I don't remember anything about a Vaporeon."

Agni walked to them with firm steps, before finally sitting in front of them and bowing his head in respect. "My sincerest apologies for my unpunctuality. I know it's no excuse, but we found some… unplanned distractions on our way here."

The Flareon's politeness, which seemed excessive to Lumis, was making him somewhat uncomfortable. "Ah, no, that's not… uh…"

"No big deal, man!" Skoll said in a cordial tone. "We all have our bad fur days, no problem."

Lumis nodded, trying to regain his composure. "We were somewhat surprised when we were told this month's appointment would be attended by a Flareon, instead of the usual Hitmonchan."

"Yes, I'm aware we usually send one of our node's Hitmonchan for this, but unfortunately he's undisposed due to a minor illness this month, so I was sent in his place," Agni said, showing some annoyance in his tone. While unusual, he had already substituted that Hitmonchan a few times, and he didn't particularly enjoy it. "I hope this doesn't cause you any inconvenience."

"No, that shouldn't be a problem. Now, if you don't mind, we'd wish to end this transaction sooner than later. It's already quite late and night will fall soon."

Agni nodded back, also wanting to finish the transaction as soon as logically possible. "Oh, but of course."

Zephyr repositioned himself besides his relative, mirroring the positions of the other two eeveelutions. Meanwhile Scylla watched the scene silently from a relatively close distance, feeling somewhat curious about the whole affair. The two new faces didn't seem to be paying her much attention, their eyes instead focusing on the Flareon in front of them, wishing to get done with the meeting quickly.

The Espeon spoke up. "Very well, let's get this started. How was the production this month? Can I assume there were no incidences?"

Agni nodded affirmatively. "Indeed, our work is as flawless as ever. Now, I was informed your usual monthly purchase is of 400 standardized rectangular slabs of pre-heated Adamantium at 2000 ºF, 200 pentagonal prisms of purely crystallized Adamantium and 750 liters of liquefied Adamantium. All of that for 9,000 Adm, is that all right?"

Skoll raised an eyebrow at this, twisting his head to the violet-furred feline beside him. "9,000? Hey, wasn't it cheaper last time, Lum?"

"Yes, last month the transaction was effectuated for 8,600 Adm," Lumis reminisced. "Is there a motive for the increase in price?"

Agni shrugged. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I have no idea, I'm just telling you what I was told. All I know about is melting Adamantium, I know little about how they it's priced. I hope this doesn't suppose a problem."

"Well, I guess this is within the expected little variations of price," Lumis said with his eyes closed, as if thinking deep about it, before just shrugging it off with a literal shrug. "Oh, well. It's admissible."

"So that will be all, right?" Zephyr was getting quite bored with the, in his opinion, rather dull routine. He stood up, stretching out his whole body. "So… now we just have to go look for someone in the Beryl Calandra to take note of this agreement and transport the items to your node, correct?"

"Not so fast, bucko." Skoll made him a gesture with a paw indicating him to sit back down, which the Jolteon begrudgingly did. "There's a little change we wanna make to our arrangement."

Lumis cleared his throat in an attempt to call attention back to himself. "Indeed. The last months, we've noted that our usual request of liquefied Adamantium isn't enough to cover the magnitude of the experiments we usually-"

"Can you get to the point?" Zephyr asked in a rather rude tone, which his cousin immediately berated him for.

"Oh… yes, of course. We would like to request 1000 liters of liquid Adamantium this month, instead of the usual 750. Would that suppose any kind of problem?"

Agni stared at him for a moment, considering his petition. "We have enough reserves of liquid Adamantium to fulfill that request, so I guess there shouldn't be any problem. That would, however, increase the price."

Lumis nodded to him. "Yes, instead of 9,000 Adm, we would pay your node... I'm guessing 10,000 Adm."

Agni looked down for a brief instant, wondering if that was a fair or not. Since they know the Flareon had no idea about pricing items, he thought it highly probable that they were trying to rip him off. He preferred to exert caution. "How do I know that's an acceptable price?"

Skoll glared at him and let out a feeble growl. The yellow rings that adorned his ebony body started to shine weakly. "What are you exactly implying, mate?"

Lumis put a paw over one his friend's shoulders, in an attempt to pacify his apparent irritation. "Your doubts are comprehensible. Since we're gonna see a courier, how about you ask him about the price when we're there?"

Agni closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly, considering it for a second. "Very well. That sounds reasonable."

Lumis bowed down and gave the Flareon a cordial smile, which he promptly returned, while Skoll had a confident yet friendly smirk of his own. Zephyr was getting up again with the same look of boredom on his face that he had before, and the Vaporeon that had stayed silent so far started approaching them slowly.

"What you know, you were right. That was kinda boring," she said, desperately trying to contain a yawn. "What now?"

"Ah, she's with you two?" Skoll asked them. Both Zephyr and Agni gave a nod, although the second's one was noticeable less enthusiastic. "Thought it was weird she was looking so intently. Anyway, now we gotta go where the transporters are and arrange the shipment."

"The couriers will pick up the accorded amount of Adm from our node and bring it to theirs," Lumis explained. "They will also transport the requested items and materials from their node to ours."

"And that saves us the trouble of having to walk around with piles of useless things," Zephyr said. "The transporters are usually flying mons with strong bodies, so they have an easier time moving between nodes."

"Yeah, it would be very inconvenient having to push carts filled with Adamantium with these small bodies of ours." Scylla took a quick glance at her surroundings, and once her eyes set on a small temple-like building on the distance, she started walking towards it. "That's where the couriers are located, right? I've been to this node a few times."

"You got that right," Skoll simply said before following after her. The Vaporeon seemed familiar for some reason. Had he seen her somewhere before? Oh well, no matter.

The quintet of eeveelutions walked towards the massive construction that stood in the center of the greenish dome. Usually, there was an imposing building known as Haecceity at the center of each of the seven nodes acting as a 'palace' of sorts, where the leaders of each node and their families resided.

The distribution of each and every one of the nodes followed a circular structure, with the main Haecceity located at the center of the node. In the immediate periphery of the Haecceity, one could usually find the most notable locations of the whole node, those who offered whichever services the node was known for. In the Beryl Calandra's case, that meant the main market, full of merchants willing to sell their wares; and the couriers, ready to transport heavy items between distant nodes.

Further from the center were the residential districts, where most of the population from the nodes lived. It was also where one could find all kinds of hostels for tired travelers requireing a place to spend the night. Even though the streets were usually secure even at night, hardly anyone desired to sleep on the Adamantium floor, for it was uncomfortably hard and got quite cold at night.

Once the group of quadrupeds reached the immediacies of the Haecceity, they easily spotted a massive Dragonite talking with two other smaller pokémon. The Espeon and the Umbreon recognized the orange-scaled dragon as a courier from previous visits, and even the other three could guess his profession without much effort. Once they were close enough, they noticed that the pokémon the Dragonite was speaking with were also eeveelutions, more specifically a Leafeon and a Glaceon.

It didn't take the Dragonite long to notice the group of newcomers, two of which he recognized instantly.

"Hey, Lumis, Skoll, how're my boys doing? All well?" He waited until both gave a nod, and then started cackling out loud. "S'all good, then!"

"Oh, are you busy right now?" Lumis asked the dragon, noticing the two new faces he was talking to. "I guess we could come back tomorrow."

"Oh, no, don't worry about us!" Ivy started to wave a paw right and left as if asking to be ignored, while scanning all the people around her. "We were in our way to the Haecceity and stopped to have a little chat with Mr. Messenger here, but we were leaving just-"

She paused as soon as her eyes stopped on Scylla, and then emitted some kind of muted moan. Upon noticing this, the Vaporeon forced a smile. "Nice, this again…"

"A-Aren't you Scylla, the Genteel Mermaid?" Ivy said almost in a whisper, approaching the fish-tailed creature slowly, not unlike a predator trying to catch an unsuspecting prey.

Scylla lowered her head and chuckled weakly. "So I'm with four males of my species and nobody recognizes me, but I meet a female and she immediately does. I'm not sure what to make out of this."

The Dragonite moved one his claws up to his chin and scratched it. "Ah, what's the matter? Is the blue lassie here famous or somethin'?"

"Yup, the Genteel Mermaid, haven't you heard of her?" Ivy waited a while for an answer from the Dragonite, but after seeing it wasn't coming any time soon, she turned back to the male eeveelution quartet behind her. "And you four seriously haven't heard of her? The Genteel Mermaid, doesn't ring a bell? Mr. Messenger here might be a bit too old to know her, but you guys seem her age."

"Hey, I ain't that old, Ivy." The Dragonite huffed exaggeratedly, as if feigning rage, but still beaming wide. "And now I think about it, I might have heard her name before."

"Genteel Mermaid, Genteel Mermaid…" Skoll repeated a few times with his eyes closed, as if trying to trigger his memory on. "Ah, ain't that some very popular performer chick from the Purple Kiwi or whatever it's called?"

"Lilac Kiwi," Lumis corrected him.

"Yeah, that! I'm sure I've heard that 'Genteel Mermaid' thing a few times before, but I had no idea it was an eeveelution of all things." Skoll briefly scanned the Vaporeon with his eyes, curling his lips into an impish smirk. "Now, if I had known the so-called mermaid looked like this, I might have paid more attention to the Purple Kiwi whenever they came to our node."

Scylla pointed at the Umbreon with a paw, grinning with certain cynicism. "See this? This is more like what I'm used to."

Agni frowned. "Getting used to something like that doesn't sound healthy. And can we please finish our business here with Mr. Messenger first? It's night already."

The Dragonite laughed heartily. "Oh, sure thing… Wait, where's that Hitmonchan bloke from the Amber Crane? Somethin' happened to him?"

"I was sent in his place. He couldn't come due to a minor ailment, nothing serious," Agni told him, making the dragon show a chortle of relief. "We request you to carry the following items from the Amber Crane to the Azure Nightingale: 400 slabs of pre-heated Adamantium, 200 pentagonal prisms of crystal Adamantium and 750-no, 1000 liters of liquid Adamantium. What's the market price for all that?"

The Dragonite tried to make a mental calculation, but the Leafeon answered first. "Supposing all of those items are standardized, the market prices are of 5 Adm per slab, 20 Adm per prism and 4 Adm per liter of liquid Adamantium. So that's… uh… nine thousand and something…?"

The Glaceon nudged her sister to catch her attention, "10,000 Adm, sis."

"Ah? Yeah, that."

Agni gave the Espeon and the Umbreon an approving grin, contented. "Very well, it seems like you weren't lying after all. As a representative of the Amber Crane, I give this exchange my authorization."

It was the feline's turn to speak. "As a representative of the Azure Nightingale, I also give this exchange my authorization."

"Then, if both parties agree, I hereby validate this trade as a representative of the Beryl Calandra," the Dragonite declared, in an unusually solemn tone for him. "I also guarantee in the name of the Beryl Calandra that I will deliver the goods and money to their target nodes in the next 24 hours."

Agni sighed deeply. It had taken him much more time than he had initially anticipated, but he had finally finished his assignment in the Beryl Calandra. What he most desired right now was to rest.

"We should leave for the hostel, then. Will you lead the way, Scylla?"

"Sure thing, follo-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" When they were getting up from their seats and about to leave, Ivy promptly moved in front of Scylla and cut their path. "You are gonna sleep in a run-down inn?"

Her sudden movement shocked Scylla, who flinched impulsively. "U-Uh, why not? It's not like it's the first time. My troupe must be already waiti-"

"No, no, no, I simply cannot accept that! That would be very discourteous on my part! Come with us to the Haecceity, we have a guestroom there!"

Upon hearing the word 'Haecceity', all gazes settled on the plant-type pokémon. Some eyes showed curiosity, some interest, all bewilderment. Ivy didn't seem to mind the attention, but Safira thought differently and swiftly positioned herself behind her sister, as if she were some kind of wall or shield.

"Oh, right, we hadn't quite presented ourselves yet, now have we?" Ivy raised her chest and head in a leonine way, eyes closed, radiating pride. "I'm Ivy, elder daughter of the Beryl Calandra's leader, and this cutie here is my little sister Safira. Safi, say hi!"

Safira peeked out from behind her sister for a short instant before hiding again. "H-H-Hi…"

Everyone was still staring at them wide-eyed. Skoll slowly twisted his head towards the Dragonite, who didn't seem to understand the commotion. "Hey, Mr. Messenger, is what cream fur here is saying true? Are they really the daughters of this node's leader?"

"Yes, that they are," the dragon affirmed, drawing a few surprised gasps from the crowd.

"Well, hellooo there. This handsome devil before you goes by Skoll, and this here is my good pal Lumis."

The Leafeon smiled at them amiably. "I might've seen you two once or twice around the place, but we never really got around to actually talking."

"Yup, we come here once a month for business," the Umbreon explained. He took a few step forwards, looking her straight in the eye. "But had I known this grass nymph was hiding in this place, I would've come more often."

Ivy recoiled back almost in instinct. "U-Uh? Sure, y-you're welcome here." The Leafeon wasn't necessarily embarrassed, mostly dumbfounded and maybe a bit flustered by the suddenness of the flattery, but she still chose to turn her eyes away from the black-furred beast before her. She noticed the red and yellow pokémon beside Scylla. "Oh, and you two are…? I don't think I've seen you around."

Before Zephyr could speak up, Agni was already talking in a monotonous and bored voice. "I'm Agni, he is Zephyr, and you already know Scylla. Done. Now can we please all go to sleep? Sorry if I sound rude, but it's getting really late."

Ivy winced a bit at his coarseness, but didn't pay it much mind. "Still, I insist you come with us to the Haecceity."

"I for one wouldn't mind in the slightest," Skoll said in a casual tone, circling around the Vaporeon. "We don't got a place to stay either. Beats having to sleep in a third-class hotel, uh?"

"Er… Did she even invite us?" Lumis asked him. Skoll closed his eyes and nodded with sufficiency as if it were something obvious. "Are you sure? I thought the petition extended only to the Kiwi's Vaporeon."

Ivy leered cautiously at Skoll, who had just stopped beside Scylla. "Yeah, actually I was only-"

Skoll cuddled up uncomfortably close to the siren's cheeks. "Aw, you can't split us up, we're super buddies! Ain't we, Scylla, dear?"

"Er… Sure…?" Scylla was more perplexed than anything. She was well used to over-affectionate fans and she knew his reaction was way too exaggerated to be genuine.

In a flash, Skoll left the Vaporeon's side and dashed to the two eeveelutions that were watching the spectacle near Scylla; the Flareon with a look of boredom and tiredness, and the Jolteon with mild amusement.

"And of course we cannot forget our good friends mop-tail and spiky-butt over there! They'll also want to come, right?"

"Damn right we do!" Zephyr said with a snicker, trying to avoid cracking up.

Before Agni had a chance to express his opinion on the matter, the dark-type was already alongside his original partner. "And of course, we cannot forget our good ol' pal Lum!"

The Espeon forced a smile. "I… Really, we don't want to be a bother…"

"Uh? Nah, we don't mind, and I'm sure dad won't mind either," Ivy said, shaking her head. "If anything, you all look like a fun lot."

Agni raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously inviting home a bunch of people you just met? You don't seem too responsible for the child of a leader."

The Glaceon jabbed at her sister to get Ivy's attention. "Hmm, Saf?"

"A-Are you sure?"

"Why not?" Ivy responded with a silly smile, but her sibling just looked aside, not too convinced. "C'mon, it's the Genteel Mermaid! We can't let this opportunity pass!"

Upon hearing her acting name, she thought it a good time to speak up. "Look, that sounds fun and all, but my troupe already reserved some rooms for us. Someone would have to go to the Emerald Inn and tell them, or they'll get worried."

"You can leave that to me, lassie." The Dragonite they affectionately called 'Mr. Messenger' suddenly took up to the skies. "The Emerald Inn is in my way home, so I can stop by and tell'em. Don't worry about it."

"Oh… That's very nice of you."

Ivy beamed happily. "Then no objections, right? C'mon, everybody follow me!"

* * *

><p>"Ivy, darling, I know I said you could bring friends home… but did it have to be so many?"<p>

The interior of the Haecceity was constructed out of crystallized Adamantium, just like most buildings in the Heptagonal Ring. Although the Haecceity looked imposing from the outside, the interior was much more modest and unassuming; just one large spacious chamber that connected three smaller rooms.

The mob of eeveelutions was waiting in the middle of the room, with the Glaceon a few steps in front of them and the Leafeon a bit further on. The plant-type was talking to what seemed to be a mix of a badger and a ferret, with beige fur covered by brown stripes.

"Why not, dad? Why do we even have a guestroom if we're not gonna use it?"

The Linoone lowered his gaze. "Did it have to be precisely today…?"

"Uh? It's there any problem, dad?"

"No, it's nothing." The Linoone took a moment to visually analyze his new guests. "Er, Ivy, I do find it a bit… peculiar that you're bringing me four males of your species. Should I worry?"

"Argh, for the love of…" She brought a paw to her face, as if disappointed in her father. "It's not like that and you know it! They can sleep in the guestroom, anyway."

"Sure thing, sure thing, just joking," the Linoone said, trying to suppress and smirk and not being too successful about it. "What about the Vaporeon miss, though? Will she be staying in your room?"

Ivy did her best to look as innocent as possible. Her efforts were unfruitful. "Well… We don't have much of a choice, do we?"

"I guess…" The Linoone stood silent for a handful of seconds, considering what to do. After a brief moment of silence, he finally approved. "You win, Ivy, they can stay. But you have to go to sleep soon, it's already pretty late."

"Will do, dad!" With this, the Leafeon ran to her sister and started to nudge her in direction to their room. "C'mon, Saf! Scylla, follow us!"

Before chasing after them, Scylla took a moment to wish the males good night. I a matter of seconds, everyone went to their respective assigned rooms, leaving the Linoone leader of the Beryl Calandra alone.

* * *

><p>"So, who are you two?"<p>

Even thought it was night already, Skoll was an Umbreon and sleeping early wasn't exactly one of his priorities. He decided to gather a bit of personal information about the two strangers he was sharing a room with.

The Jolteon, being the energetic type, didn't feel too sleepy either. "I'm Zephyr, a hired bodyguard from the Cerulean Warbler. This time I was hired to protect my cousin here, Agni, in his journey to this node." He turned to Agni to see if he wanted to talk about himself, but the Flareon was just lying down with his eyes closed on a leather mound acting as a bed, and while he wasn't quite asleep, he didn't seem to feel like joining the conversation either. Zephyr just resumed speaking on his place. "He can fall a bit on the blunt side sometimes, but he's a good fellow. Oh, and he's a metalworker on the Amber Crane, and a good one, I've heard. What about you and your friend?"

"Skoll and Lumis, we're both from the Azure Nightingale. I'm a defender and he's an investigator or a scientist or something like that."

The Espeon, who had seemed asleep until then, lazily opened an eye. "I'm technically considered a researcher. But it's more or less the same thing."

"Oh, that sounds interesting." Zephyr laid down on one of the 'beds' of the room, which in spite of being mere piles of leather stacked together, were still fairly soft and warm. "You said you were a defender, uh? Then we have more or less the same job."

"Yup, kinda," Skoll said in agreement whilst lying down on his own bed. He wasn't tired at all, but he had to admit it was quite comfortable. "You guys on the Blue Warbler are-"

"Cerulean Warbler," Lumis corrected, not even bothering to open his eyes this time, already feeling drowsy.

"Yeah, that, the guys from that node are like bodyguards for the Heptagonal Ring as a whole, but every node still has its own guild of defenders for local protection. Wait, why were you sent from that far to protect your cousin, dude? It's a short trip from the Yellow Crane to the Green Calandra, you usually send local defenders for this kind of thing."

The spiky electric-type couldn't repress a little grin. The names of the nodes always consisted of an extravagant word describing a color plus the name of an avian species, and Zephyr find it somewhat humorous that Skoll could apparently remember the frequently odd names for the birds but not the colors.

"Yeah, you would normally send a defender from the Amber Crane to escort someone from the Amber Crane, just like you were sent to protect your pal from your own node, but since we two are family we tend to work together."

"Yeah, I guess is easier travelling with someone you kno-"

"Could you please, please, please shut the hell up and fall asleep already?" Agni suddenly said in a tone that, instead of mad, almost sounded supplicating. "We have to travel back to my node tomorrow morning, and the trip between two adjacent nodes usually takes from six to seven hours. Let's get a good night's sleep so we don't get tired tomorrow."

"You got a point, Agni," Zephyr admitted, closing down his eyes. "Let's get some shut-eye now or tomorrow will be a hard day…"

Skoll still didn't feel particularly sleepy, but since he had no more conversation partners left, he decided to give up and try getting some sleep like the rest. Fortunately, the snug beds greatly helped matters.

* * *

><p>Ivy softly nuzzled the Glaceon sleeping by her side, a wide smile illuminating her visage. "She's always been a heavy sleeper."<p>

"Aw… I always wanted a little sister, too," Scylla cooed, almost envious of the scene happening before her. "But I wouldn't have much free time to spend with her, so maybe it's for the better."

"Are your shows that time consuming?" Ivy wondered, speaking in a low enough voice not to wake her sister up. "They're usually not that long, are they?"

"No, but we spend a lot of time on rehearsals. Have you ever seen one of our shows?"

"I would've loved to, but I've never had the time. I know your troupe has come here to the Beryl Calandra many times already, but I travel a lot around the Heptagonal Ring with my father and sister for boring political stuff and I guess we've never run into each other before."

"We'll stay here tomorrow, so you can come watch us if you're free."

"Awesome!" Ivy involuntarily raised her voice a bit, but promptly covered her mouth with a paw. She tentatively looked at Safira to see if she had awakened her, but sighed in relief upon noticing the Glaceon was still fast asleep. "Are those guys part of your troupe?"

"You mean the other eeveelutions? Nope, they aren't."

"Oh, then… friends? Or…?"

"Actually, I just met them today, but they seem nice."

"Wait a… I invited them because I thought they were friends of yours," Ivy said, managing to keep a low tone of voice despite her slight vexation. "So that was a trick of theirs to get a free bed, uh?"

Scylla giggled softly. "Well, to be honest these beds are comfier than those you find in hostels. I mean, I don't mind them, but it feels good to sleep in something cozy every now and then."

"Oh? Then you're invited to sleep here whenever you're passing by the Beryl Calandra!" the Leafeon said with a big silly smile.

"Hehe, it would be impolite to refuse that invitation, so I'll have to accept." They shared a small chuckle before lying down. "I think we should do like your sister and catch some z's."

"Yeah. Good night, Scylla."

"Good night, Ivy."

* * *

><p>In the middle of the night, a solitary Linoone stood in the center of the main area of the Beryl Calandra's Haecceity. He was still awake but a bit drowsy, a yawn escaping his mouth. He had been waiting for a certain visitor for a while now, and was starting to wonder if he had forgotten their scheduled rendezvous. Much to his relief, an elderly Galvantula finally entered his home, trailed by a comparatively younger Sylveon.<p>

The Linoone laughed heartily, although not loud enough to awaken the sleeping critters in the nearby rooms. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come, Tesla."

"You know I never miss my appointments, Linze."

The Galvantula slowly but surely approached the Linoone until they were mere inches away. The Sylveon was by the spider's side the whole time.

"Hello, Mr. Linze!" Kizuna saluted him happily, her tail wagging and her ribbons dancing around as if in celebration.

"Who are…? Oh, you must be the famous Kizuna! Tesla talks about you a lot!"

"You can call me Kizzie!"

"Well, aren't you an adorable one!" Linze started petting her head, which the Sylveon didn't seem to mind in the slightest. "Going by what Tesla had told me, I expected you to be an unruly gal, but you seem like a proper lady!"

Tesla cackled hoarsely. "I'm not sure if I would use the adjective 'proper' yet. We're working on that."

"It is unusual of you to bring a pupil, though. Is something wrong?"

"Everything's all right," Tesla reassured him. "I was going to come alone for our scheduled monthly meeting like always, but she insisted she wanted to come along and I thought she would be prepared."

Linze raised an eyebrow. "You _thought_?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, she is a very good kid." Tesla looked at his pupil for a moment, who was happily glancing around the room without a care in the world. "But you know how it is with chroniclers, plus Kizuna is rather young."

Hearing her name made her jump into the conversation. "Hey, not fair, I'm respecting all the rules! I didn't even jump at Mr. Linze, just like you told me, master!"

"Kizzie, dear, could you please lower your voice a bit?" Even though he was admonishing her, Linze still managed to keep his tone kind. "It's late and my daughters are sleeping. They even brought some friends tonight."

"Ivy and Safira, yes?" Kizuna asked, getting a nod in response. Of course, she already knew she was right. "I really _really_ want to meet them. Can't I?"

"You do? Well, they're sleeping right now, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Kizuna, you know that for your own good you should avoid making friends here," Tesla reprimanded her, although in a warmer tone of voice than usual. "We are just passing by the Heptagonal Ring, and we will soon go back to the Observatory. You wouldn't like having to leave friends you just made behind, would you?"

"I-I know but…"

Linze sighed. "Aren't you being too harsh on the girl? One day, after we're long gone, Kizuna will be a full-fledged chronicler and my Ivy will be the leader of the Beryl Calandra, and they will need to be in touch with each other just like us now. Wouldn't it be better if they got acquainted with each other before that?"

"I'm not thinking of retiring or dying any time soon, and even though she has undisputable talent as a chronicler, it still hasn't been decided whether she will be the one to succeed me."

"Master's right, it's better if I don't meet them after all," Kizuna said in an uncharacteristically melancholic tone for her. "I mean, let's say I meet them today. Once I leave for the Observatory I won't be able to see them again in, what, thirty or forty years? I wouldn't enjoy that one bit."

Kizuna looked disheartened, and her arachnid tutor didn't look too jolly either. Linze tried to think of something uplifting to say, but couldn't think of anything. "You chroniclers really have it hard…"

In an attempt to alleviate the tension, Tesla decided to change the topic of conversation. And what better topic than the very reason they had come here for in the first place?

"About the Adamantium distribution…"

"Mh?" Linze perked up an ear, interested.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to lower it down again, by a 2.7%."

Even though he had expected something similar, the Linoone couldn't help groaning at this. "Again? You've made us lower our supply of Adamantium by almost a 20% in the last year."

"I know you don't like it, and we don't either, but that's what the information we've gathered in the Observatory tells us."

"Well, you know much more about this than us. I'll inform the Amber Crane to reduce the amount of Adamantium they gather from the Kernel Ore by a… 2.7%, you said?" Linze's question was answered by a nod from the Galvantula. "Very well, we shall do that."

Their conversation was then interrupted by the sound of footsteps, dainty ones, but the silence of the night made any noise stand out. They all turned their heads almost in unison towards the source of this sound.

None of them recognized the newcomer.

"It's a magnificent night, don't you think? We can look at the nocturnal sky trough the Adamantium crystal dome of the node, but it's a shame that the sandstorms won't let us see the stars. I'm sure it would've been a truly lovely view."

Although the Linoone had never been a creature like that before, the other two had no trouble determining what kind of pokémon that was: a Zoroark.

Tesla approached his pupil slowly, making sure to keep his eyes at all times on the dark-type fox pokémon that had just entered the room. "Do you…?"

"No, I don't recognize her either," was Kizuna's immediate response. Just like her master's, her eyes were glued to the Zoroark.

"Who is she?" Linze asked them. "Is she… a friend of yours?"

Tesla shook his head sluggishly. "We chroniclers have information on every single individual inhabiting the Heptagonal Ring. Kizuna, could you…?"

"Yes, master." The Sylveon took a second to clear her throat. "A total of 343 Zoroark have been known to have lived in the Heptagonal Ring since its inception. Nowadays, there are 49 living Zoroark in the Heptagonal Ring, 7 of which are females. None of those seven females match up to the one before us. She doesn't appear in our registries."

Linze scratched his chin, trying to think. "Are you saying that… she is an outsider?"

Tesla said, "While it's not impossible, it's very rare for a pokémon from outside the Heptagonal Ring to find its way here, especially considering how unforgiving this desert is. Most of the Ring's pokémon had been born here. And, even if she were a foreigner, the Observatory would have analyzed her the very moment she set foot in the Heptagonal Ring."

"But the Observatory has been malfunctioning for the last seven months, master," Kizuna told him. "If she came to the Heptagonal Ring less than seven months ago, the Observatory could have not detected her. She might be an outsider after all."

The Zoroark watched them debate silently, and only once the discussion quietened down did she start talking. "That's a reasonable guess, partner, but I'm afraid it's a wrong one. Actually, I was born and raised in the Heptagonal Ring, just like the three of you."

Kizuna and Tesla shared a brief glance of confusion. If she really had been born in the Heptagonal Ring, surely they would have had information on her, it simply didn't add up. It was then that Tesla thought of the only possible explanation. "You're a chronicler too, then? Mmh, nobody told us they would send another chronicler."

She laughed openly. "Closer, but still no dice, mate. Although I guess you're partially right; I'm not a chronicler, but I once was. Not anymore, though."

Now Tesla seemed disoriented. "How can someone stop being a chronicler? I mean… It's not like it's impossible but…"

"I just didn't like it, so I quitted." The Zoroark shrugged without giving it much importance, "More importantly, I still haven't introduced myself, now have I? How impolite of me, please allow me to amend that." She sat down on the floor, bringing herself to the height level of the other pokémon in the room. "Naamah's the name, the pleasure is all mine. Now, may I know your names?"

The chronicler duo still looked dumbfounded and speechless, so Linze decided it was his turn to speak. "My name i-"

"Linze, isn't it, friend?" Naamah received his stupefied reaction with a hearty laugh. "As I said before, I was once a chronicler and thus I know everything about the habitants of the Heptagonal Ring. However, chroniclers don't usually have information on other chroniclers unless they are working directly together."

Tesla considered for a moment whether he should offer his name or not. But what harm could it do? She seemed nice enough, at least. "I'm Tesla, and this Sylveon here is my pupil…"

He signaled Kizuna to introduce herself. She took a step forward and beamed cheek-to-cheek, seemingly forgetting all of her previous worries. "Hello, Naamah! I'm Kizuna, but you can call me Kizzie!"

"I'll make sure to do so, then." Naamah gave Kizuna a cordial and friendly smile, which the eeveelution more than gladly returned. "I've actually come to talk to Linze, I wasn't even aware there were any chroniclers in here. But since you're here already, I don't mind if you join the conversation. Now, do you have some tea? Or a latte? Perhaps sake?"

"I'm afraid not," Linze said. It was really late, it's not like they could go to a shop or a restaurant. Everything would be closed at this hour.

"What a shame. Oh well." Naamah closed her eyes and raised her arms, seemingly not minding it much. "Anyway, I've come to request something from you."

Linze was a bit intrigued. "Yes?"

"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the Amber Crane monthly collects Adamantium from the Kernel Ore, and then your node, the Beryl Calandra, redistributes this Adamantium among all the seven nodes. Correct so far, partner?"

"Yes."

"But you also receive monthly visits of a chronicler, Tesla, I imagine, who tells you how the distribution of Adamantium should proceed."

Linze was only hearing things he already knew. "Yes, that is all correct. Although lately I've only been told to lower this distribution."

"Yes, precisely, that's where I was getting at. Could you tell us why it is so, Tesla?"

The electric tarantula made a buzzing sound. He still wasn't entirely sure of what he thought about the Zoroark. "We continually analyze Adamantium in the Observatory, and we've come to the conclusion that exposing people to large doses of Adamantium is… hazardous. In order to prevent greater problems, we think it's necessary to keep Adamantium exposition levels under control."

Naamah suddenly stood up. "Indeed, comrade, indeed. As you just said, Adamantium is highly dangerous, and yet we refuse to forgo its use. Why is it so?"

"Well, Adamantium is like super useful," Kizuna said. "It makes people's lives here in the Heptagonal Ring much easier!"

"That may be true, but the fact that Adamantium is a rather dangerous metal remains." Naamah then turned to the Linoone, who had attentively been listening to the conversation. "That's why I want to ask you, Linze, leader of the Beryl Calandra, to completely halt the distribution of Adamantium."

The other three pokémon stared at the Zoroark wide-eyed, doubting their ears. Had she really just requested _that_? It seemed unbelievable.

"I… can't do that," Linze said, almost stuttering. "I mean, why in the world would I want to do that?"

"For the good of everyone who lives in the Heptagonal Ring." Naamah's response was simple and concise, and her firm tone of voice made it evident she fully believed her position. "The Beacon thinks that Adamantium is an unnecessary hazard that must be eliminated as soon as reasonably possible. Do you agree, friends?"

They didn't even bother answering her question. They all knew what that answer was, Naamah included. But what irked Tesla the most was an uncommon word she had used in her previous discourse. "The Beacon…?"

Naamah nodded at this, not losing her smile. "That's the name of my group, or organization, or coalition, or however you wish to call it."

"What is the Beacon, master?" Kizuna asked, more out of curiosity than worry.

"I don't know. I've never heard of a group with that name before." This comment carried more weight coming from the mouth of a chronicler. The Observatory gave them access to all the information related to the Heptagonal Ring, a group that opposed the Adamantium wasn't simply something that could have escaped their overarching eye.

"The Observatory has been malfunctioning for seven months, though." Kizuna reminded him.

"Then I guess they could ostensibly have been created in this short period. We wouldn't have noticed…"

The two chroniclers stood completely silent for a moment, wondering if such a thing was even possible.

"So you don't agree with the Beacon's stance? I expected this, but it still saddens me." Seeing they weren't going to start supporting her position any time soon, Naamah turned her back to them. "It will soon be the 7777th anniversary of the Heptagonal Ring, and I've heard a big party is being organized. Surely we're invited to it, yes? I'll see you there, then. Bye, have a good night."

Naamah made an effort to leave, but Tesla was having none of that. "After what you've just said, you'll understand we can't let you leave, right?"

"I'm afraid that is so," Linze said in a stern voice. "You're under arrest for incitation to criminal activity and threats to a public event. You will be sent to the Garnet Oriole for interrogation about your involvement with this 'Beacon', which by what you described sounds awfully like a criminal band."

"Criminal band? Why, I disagree, partner." Naamah didn't even turn back; she just kept walking away from them towards the exit of the Haecceity. "And while I respect your antiquated law systems, I have no intention of turning myself in. So if you excuse me…"

Tesla started pursuing after her until she stopped abruptly. He made a buzzing sound at the Zoroark. "Kizuna, cover Linze."

"You're not thinking of fighting me, are you, comrade? There's no need for that." Naamah slowly turned around, facing the Galvantula directly. "Why the hostility? I can understand your disagreement with the Beacon's ideals, but there's no need for this to devolve into violence."

"You just said your group is gonna crash into the party for the Heptagonal Ring's 7777th anniversary. You think we can just let that be?" Tesla said, trying to sound threatening. "Pokémon from all the seven nodes will attend that celebration, I can't allow you or this 'Beacon' to put them in danger."

"Argh… 'Crash the party'? Seriously, man?" Naamah crossed her arms and winced as if offended. "I just said I'll go check it out. Chat, drink, maybe dance a bit; you know, the typical."

"If you were anyone else I might consider, but you're an ex-chronicler. You're a living hazard to everyone."

"Harsh." They just stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, until the Zoroark got tired of waiting and turned around. "I see I'm not welcomed here. If all you're gonna do is label me as a criminal, I'll just take my leave."

"You're not going anywhere. Surrender yourself right now or…"

A mischievous grin appeared in the Zoroark's muzzle. "Or…?"

"…or I will have to subdue you by force…" Tesla was trying to sound as menacing as possible, but he wasn't being particularly successful about it. "I have an advantage over you by virtue of being a bug-type. Please by sensible and surrender."

"Not a fan of battles, but if I must…"

Naamah readied on of her claws to attack the spider, but he wasn't going to let that just happen. Just as her attack was about to connect, Tesla sputtered a Signal Beam, a strange ray of brilliant yet sinister light that seemed to glow in all of the colors of the rainbow. Being mere inches away from the fox's face, this attack easily hit its mark.

However, upon receiving the full impact of the Signal Beam, the vixen's shape simply faded away as if it were made of mist. Tesla noticed his mistake too late, as a cold claw slashed away at him from behind.

"Illusions," was all he said before recovering from the shock and promptly throwing another Signal Beam in her direction. Just like it has happened the first time, when his bug-type attack connected it was revealed that the Zoroark before him was once again an illusion.

Tesla felt another claw on his back, but this time he didn't even turn around. Why bother? He had no way to discern where Naamah's real location was. He couldn't just keep firing beams in random directions.

Unless…

"Kizuna, Linze, cover your ears!" Tesla shouted to the two spectators of the battle, who quickly did as instructed. After checking that they both had covered their ears, Linze with his paws and Kizuna with her bows, Tesla started to emit a loud shrilling screech that clearly contrasted with the spider's small size. A strident Bug Buzz of this intensity used in a closed room could easily daze anyone near unfortunate enough to hear it.

A Zoroark appeared out of thin air and fell to the ground beside Tesla. Not wasting a second, the electric-type immediately released a Signal Beam against the dizzied fox.

Much to his chagrin, this one also turned out to be an illusion somehow. Tesla waited for the inevitable rear attack, but much to his surprise the impact came from the front this time. This particular Night Slash seemed to have struck him harder than the previous ones, even sending him flying back a short distance.

He heard the worried voice of his pupil by his side. "M-Master! Are you okay?"

Naamah suddenly seemed to materialize before the two of them, although whether it was another illusion or not was hard to tell. "Had you not warned Kizzie and Linze of your forthcoming attack, that Bug Buzz might have actually hit me. That was nice of you warning me, partner."

Now that Kizuna was examining Tesla closer, she noticed something peculiar: he didn't show any signs of having been assaulted; he physically looked as healthy as ever. However, the Galvantula was unable to stand up again for some reason, wincing in pain.

Kizuna then noticed Naamah loom closer. Or maybe it was an illusion, she didn't know. Whatever the case, she couldn't just let the Zoroark keep hurting her master. Fairy-types hold an advantage against dark-types such as Naamah, maybe she should fight?

Before she could garner a decision, the sound of footsteps interrupted her train of thought. It then occurred to her that she hadn't heard any footsteps during the previous combat. Tesla's legs were small and slim enough not to make a sound, but the feet of a Zoroark should have been easy to hear in the middle of the silent night. How could it be? Had she not moved during the fight? Was she somehow masking her sounds? Was that even possible?

But Kizuna didn't have time for that. The footsteps were looming closer and closer, she had to do something. She twisted her head in the direction of the noise, but she didn't expect to see what she saw.

A Jolteon.

Was this one of the Zoroark's tricks? Then again, she remembered Linze mentioning his daughters had invited some friends over.

Tesla silently cursed himself for forgetting they weren't alone in the Haecceity. His Bug Buzz must have awakened the Jolteon, he thought.

"What was that weird noise?" Zephyr said in a drowsy voice, his eyes half closed. "Something wrong…?"

Four pokémon before him and yet Linze was the only one he was acquainted with, and he hadn't known him for more than a few hours. In fact, he didn't even recognize any of their species except for the Sylveon's, and even then it was only because they shared the same evolutionary line.

Some time passed, but no more eeveelutions emerged from their rooms, confirming Zephyr was the only one to have been awakened. If he was alert to sounds, that most likely meant he was a fighter, Linze thought. He couldn't afford to waste another second. "Are you a fighter? If so, that black fox pokémon over there is a criminal! We need her arrested!"

Still groggy, Zephyr stared at the Zoroark (or projection, not that he could tell), letting the new information sink in. A criminal? That seemed to perk him up.

"Okay, it's been fun, but this is where I kinda draw the line." Naamah's expression turned grim. "Most chroniclers aren't fighters, but you are. Time to beat it."

Zephyr growled at her. "You think I'm gonna let that happen? Because I'm not gonna let that happen."

He had never seen a Zoroark before, so he tried to hazard a guess about her type. A dark-type? That one seemed evident. Maybe part-fire too due to her red hair? No, that reasoning seemed too simplistic. He noticed the blue orb keeping her mane of hair together, and briefly wondered if she was part-psychic or something similar. He hoped such was the case, as that would made the Pin Missile flurry he was about to unleash particularly effective.

"A noble effort," Naamah said, not moving an inch as the burst of spike needles approached her. "It's a shame that it's a wasted one." Her illusion just vanished away, letting the Pin Missile pass through as if it were a ghost. "I already left, friends."

Ignorant to the illusion-based abilities of the Zoroark, Zephyr stared dumbfounded at the event that had just taken place before him.

"What's going on? Where is she?"

"She… escaped…" was all Tesla could say before passing out.

"Master!" Kizuna started to violently shake the spider's body with her bows, as if that were to magically reanimate him.

"Calm down, Kizzie. He's just unconscious," Linze said in an attempt to reassure her, but he was somewhat worried himself. Upon closer inspection, the Galvantula didn't seem to have any kind of superficial wounds, which relieved him immensely. "I don't think he's in danger, but you two should stay here tonight just in case his situation worsens."

Zephyr was starting to feel left out. "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

Kizuna stared at him for a moment. Should she tell Zephyr about this 'Beacon' and Naamah? No, chroniclers mustn't get involved with civilians, it's a golden rule. This was her problem and her master's, and no one else's.

But Zephyr did seem quite reliable. Maybe he could give her a paw? Plus, he looked so manly and… Nonononono, Kizuna, what are you doing, stop this train of thought this instant, she told herself. This is a serious matter. If only she could consult it with her master…

"Hello?" Zephyr's inquisitive voice jolted her back to reality. "Who was that fox? And who are you two?"

"Zephyr…"

Wait, had he told her his name before? If he did, he certainly couldn't remember. "Wait, how do you-"

Linze cut him off. "Look, I… We're all very tired. It's too late. We should all get some sleep."

"But-"

"Please, we should really be getting some rest. We can talk tomorrow once we're all well rested, okay?"

"…Okay."

Although his curiosity was pushing him to stay and ask more questions, his lack of sleep was begging him to hit the sack. At any rate, they had promised him to resume their conversation the next morning, so he just went back to the guestroom to get some much needed sleep.

Kizuna decided to sleep on the floor beside Tesla, even though Linze had offered to watch over him in her place and allowed her to sleep on his bed. After insisting a few more times, Linze just gave up and went into his room.

It took Kizuna some time to fall asleep, and it wasn't because of the hard floor she was lying on. The condition of her master worried her somewhat, but she knew he was strong enough to make it through. No, what made her truly nervous was the prospect of finally meeting some potential friends tomorrow.


	3. Mission

Welcome back.

Some stories don't focus on a single protagonist character, but in many. When such is the case, surely one cannot expect them all to keep together at all times, right? One could argue such is the case with life: it is a wonderful gargantuan tale with thousands upon thousands of protagonists, and while many of them are in constant contact with each other, there many more who cross paths only once to never meet again. Kind of sad.

But I digress. As far as our little story is concerned, we're counting eight protagonists. That's quite a few, so it is to be expected that they would eventually split up.

Now, let us resume our tale.

* * *

><p>"And there was a weird pokémon there, and they said it was a criminal or something."<p>

Zephyr was retelling the other eeveelutions what he had witnessed the previous night, while Kizuna, Tesla and Linze were discussing up some matters in the latter's room. They had promised him they would talk about last night's events in the morning, but such didn't seem to be the case. Perhaps they were deciding what to reveal, exactly?

This seemed ridiculous to the Jolteon. It's just a random criminal, after all, like the many he was used to catching. Why the secrecy?

"A criminal?" Ivy asked, doubting her ears. "In our house? A criminal in our very house?"

"What kind of pokémon was it?" Scylla asked.

Unfortunately, Zephyr had never seen the species of the fugitive before. "I dunno. It was like some kind of… fox or something."

Needless to say, that description was unsatisfying. Lumis considered various possibilities. "Ninetales? Zoroark? Delphox?"

"Not a Ninetales. I don't know what the other two are." Zephyr scratched his head for a moment. Maybe a description could help? "It was standing on two legs, had black-fur all over and had this weird red mane on her head."

"Sounds like a Zoroark," Lumis concluded.

"How in the world did she escape from you?" Agni wondered. "You're a relatively good fighter. It's not like you to be defeated so easily."

"That wasn't even a battle, she just… vanished or something." Zephyr growled lowly, recalling the previous night events. Could he have done something to stop her? No, it was pointless to think about that now. "I thought she was dark/psychic at first, but if she can fade away then I guess she was actually part-ghost after all."

"I… might be mistaken, but I think Zoroark are pure dark-types," Lumis said.

"Then how did she…?"

"Isn't Zoroark that pokémon that can control illusions?" Safira suggested, gathering all eyes on her. She wasn't particularly fond of the attention. "I think… Maybe…"

"Yes, I think I remember hearing something like that," Lumis said, "about how Zoroark can alter the senses of other pokémon and such."

Skoll nodded. "Using illusions to hide and fight cheap? That sounds like a dark-type all right." The Umbreon's commentary was not meant in a deprecating kind of way. He was actually quite proud of the trick-ridden fighting style that dark-type pokémon such as himself used.

They all stayed silent for some seconds. They have been waiting for the Sylveon and the other two pokémon for a while now, but they were still inside the Linoone's room, door closed. They all wondered what took them so long.

Ivy was the one to break the dull silence. "Anyway, for a criminal to suddenly attack my father in the middle of the night… What the hell was she thinking?"

"Maybe she wasn't even after your father, y'know," Zephyr said. "I mean, like I told you there were two other pokémon."

"Yeah, the ones dad is talking to right now. Wonder what's taking them so long." Ivy sighed, and many of the other eeveelutions followed after. "By the way, who were the other two pokémon? When we woke up dad just locked himself in his room and didn't even let us see them."

"One was like… a yellow spider. You know Ariados? A bit like that, but yellow and blue."

Lumis thought about his description for a moment, and a possibility came to his mind. "A Galvantula, maybe?"

"I dunno. I detected some electric potential on it, so I'm guessing it was an electric-type like me too."

"Yes, Galvantula are electric-types too."

"Okay, then… And the other was a Sylveon."

The mention of a fellow eeveelution caught everyone's attention on the spot. It was highly improbable to find such a high concentration of eeveelutions in the same place, but if what Zephyr was saying was true, then it meant all eight possible Eevee evolutions were gathered in the Haecceity right now.

"A Sylveon, really?" Scylla asked, her siren-tail wagging left and right. "That's the fairy-type evolution of Eevee, isn't it? That was actually my second choice after Vaporeon!"

Meanwhile, Skoll's interest resided in a simple question. "Male or female?"

Everyone waited expectantly for the Jolteon's answer. Well, no reason to make them wait, he thought.

"Fem. Bit of a cutie, too."

"Woo-hoo!" Skoll's rings started to shine. "And a Sylveon of all things? We hit the jackpot here, mates!"

The Umbreon's comment made Ivy roll her eyes. "Boys…"

"Hey, don't throw us all in the same bag. I couldn't care less," Agni said with a slight sign of impatience in his voice. "And why are we still here anyway? Why are we even waiting for them? We should be on our way back to the Amber Crane."

"And we should be going back to the Azure Nightingale, too," Lumis said to the Umbreon by his side.

"C'mon, dude, let's at least wait for the Sylveon babe!" Skoll complained.

Lumis knew well enough that it was useless to try to change his friend's mind when his rings were shining so brightly. Oh well, it's not like he was in any particular haste to go back to his node.

"But you know what the weirdest thing is?" Zephyr asked. They obviously didn't know. "I didn't give her my name, but I swear I heard her say it..."

"Maybe dad told her…?" was Ivy's offered explanation.

"We didn't introduce ourselves to your parent, though," Agni said. "Which was a bit impolite on our part, now I think about it."

"Then maybe she was an admirer?" Scylla's suggestion was met with incredulous gazes. "Aren't you a fighter from the Cerulean Warbler? These tend to be popular."

Zephyr considered the idea for a second before discarding it. No, that was stupid, why would he even entertain such a bizarre idea? "Nah, no way."

Agni snickered at his apparent flustering. Well, that was unusual. "I've been to the Warbler with my cousin a few times, and he's actually kind of popular with the girls. And some boys."

"Not nearly that much."

After a few more minutes of idle discussion, the door to the leader's room finally opened, and a Sylveon emerged from it. She closed the door after her using her feelers, leaving the other two pokémon conversing inside.

Kizuna's face illuminated when she saw the crowd that was waiting to receive her. So many eeveelutions! One, two, three… there were seven of them! And every single one of them was of a different type than the others, what are the chances? What should she do now? She had to make sure she made a good first impression!

Why not start with a simple introduction? "I'm Kizuna, but you can call me Kizzie!"

Okay, so far so good. Now what? They were all looking at her expectantly, some of them whispering among themselves. Maybe it would be better if she spoke to them one on one? Who should she start with? Zephyr seemed like the obvious answer. After all, he was the only one she had met already.

Kizuna dashed to the Jolteon's side, needing all of her force of will to keep herself from enveloping him with her bows. "Hi, Zephyr! How're you?"

"Good…?"

Zephyr took a single step back for caution. There was no doubt now, this quirky Sylveon knew his name somehow.

Scylla couldn't help but giggle girlishly at this. "You really have a fangirl after all!"

Kizuna shifted her attention to the Vaporeon who had just spoken. She was female just like her, so maybe she wouldn't freak out if she suddenly hugged her. Only one way to know.

She embraced the water evolution with all of her might, surrounding her with her paws and bows. "Scylla, the Genteel Mermaid! You're sooooo awesome! Your shows are the best!"

Scylla winced a bit at the absurd strength she was exerting, hardly consistent with her small frame. Just another crazed fan, she thought. Nothing she hadn't seen before.

"I'm glad too but… ugh… could you… let me breathe a bit…?" Once Scylla was free from the Sylveon's fatal grip and felt oxygen returning to her lungs, she resumed speaking. "Ugh… Nice to meet another fan, Kizzie… Always a pleasure."

Kizuna's bows still leisurely danced along her fins. "Your fur is so shiny and your fins so cute and elegant! Weeeee! And you're _so_ _very_ beautiful!"

Okay, Scylla had to admit she was starting to get a bit creepy. She gently pushed her back with a paw, hoping she would get the message.

She didn't.

Agni was starting to get a bit tired of their badly scripted comedy routine. This was going to stop even if he had to intercede personally. "Hey, uh, 'Kizzie', how about you try to be less pushy with her? I get she's a star and all, but-"

"And you're Agni, Zephyr's cousin!" Kizuna now jumped at the Flareon and buried her head in his lustrous mane, completely forgetting about the Vaporeon she was bothering mere seconds ago.

Everyone gave the Sylveon a perplexed look, most notably Agni. Not because she was getting overly affectionate with him, although that didn't help, but because she had just called the Flareon by his name and correctly guessed his relation to Zephyr, without being told. Now, knowing the name of a famous performer or a renowned warrior was one thing, but knowing the name of an ordinary everyday worker? That was just too much.

"Wait a… How do you know who I am?"

Agni put some distance between him and the Sylveon. She just cut that distance back.

"Aw, you're so fluffy and so warm! Your inner temperature might reach 1650 degrees Fahrenheit, but your fur is at snugly-warm degrees!"

"Enough!" Agni shouted firmly, giving her his more imposing glare. Unluckily for him, his excess of fluff made him much less threatening than he had hoped. However, this did serve to make the Sylveon notice she was importuning him, and she withdrew her head from within his mane on her own. "I made a question. How do you know who I am?"

"Oh, that's easy! It's because I'm a chronicler!" she said with the most innocent smile in the world. She had said it so naturally that it would've been impossible to doubt her words if it weren't because what she had just said sounded like the delusions of a crazy person.

Surely they must have misheard her.

"A… A what now?"

"A chronicler!"

Nope, they didn't mishear her.

Lumis was the first to express his discord. "Pardon me but… do you think we're little kids? Chroniclers, seriously?"

"Uh? What's the matter?"

"Kizuna, you d-"

"You can call me Kizzie!"

"…Kizuna, you don't seriously expect us to believe that you're a magical omniscient pokémon that fell from the skies, do you?"

"Mm. Well, no, I'm not omniscient and I didn't fall from the sky. But I'm a chronicler, that's true, Lumis!"

Another name she logically shouldn't have known. Anyway, now that she was embroiled in a conversation with the Espeon, she might as well get closer to her interlocutor, no?

But, as Kizuna rashly approached the violet feline, he raised a mauve psychic barrier to isolate himself from the incoming Sylveon. She stopped short on her tracks just before hitting the magical wall.

Upon seeing the Sylveon mere inches away from him, with only his barrier splitting them apart, Lumis' expression turned into a mixture of alarm and bashfulness. "B-Back away, you bubbly succubus!"

"C'mon, doll-eyes, who actually are you?" Skoll asked the Sylveon, perhaps in an attempt to save his friend from her.

"I already told you!" Kizuna shouted, now turning her attention to the Umbreon and running up to him. "I'm a chronicler! Don't you believe me, Skoll?"

"So, Kizzie… You're a magical pokémon that lives in a magical observatory in the sky that watches over everything magically and magically records everything that happens in the Heptagonal Ring. Very believable."

The normally perky Sylveon lowered her head pouting, looking at the verge of tears. This almost made Skoll feel bad. Had he been too harsh? But her story _was_ quite silly. A chronicler…

Anyway, he wouldn't forgive himself if he made such a cute girl cry, so he tried to cheer her up with a hug. It seemed to work wonders; Kizuna gladly returned the embrace with all of her bows, her tail shaking as if it was a twister. Saying she loved hugs would be an understatement.

Lumis cautiously removed the magical barrier he had kept up until now, but still keeping vigilant of the Sylveon. "Uh, Skoll… If I were you I wouldn't be touching a Sylveon of the opposite gender…"

"Ah? Why?"

"Cute Charm…"

Skoll rapidly pushed away from her when he heard his friend say 'Cute Charm'. That was the kind of ability that could make someone subconsciously infatuated on close contact. Even worse, its effect was an instinctive reflex, the 'user' of the ability couldn't even control when it activated. "Good try, Kizzie. Good try."

Kizuna was going to complain to Skoll for fleeing so fast, but what she found before herself was a Leafeon with an angry stare. "Okay, enough fooling arou-"

"Aw, you've come to me on your own!" Kizuna stopped Ivy's reprimand with yet another hug. "I've always admired you Ivy! You're so strong and so cool!"

That Kizuna would also know the Leafeon's name came as no surprise to anyone. But what was really irking Ivy at the moment was the Sylveon encumbering embrace, which she promptly stopped by pushing her away. "D-Don't suddenly hug me! And tell me who you guys are and why dad is still in his room and-"

"Safira!" Kizuna's shriek cut the Leafeon short as she bolted to the last of the eeveelutions she hasn't spoken with. Needless to say, the first thing the Sylveon did once she was close enough is throw her bows around the Glaceon. "You're _so_ cute! I don't care that your fur is a tad cold, you're still the cutest thing ever!"

For a moment Safira wished she had evolved into an Espeon just so she could teleport away, or maybe a Vaporeon so she could melt away into water and flee. As a Glaceon, all she could do is stay there feeling her cheeks heat up. She felt like she could melt any moment, but at least that would mean escaping the grip of the overbearing Sylveon. She couldn't even muster the courage to utter a single word.

Ivy had had enough. "Hey! Get your paws off my sister!"

Safira heaved a big sigh of relief when she heard the door to this father's room open and the Sylveon got away from her and started running towards the Linoone and the Galvantula emerging from that room.

"Master Tesla! You're back!" Kizuna yelled.

The Galvantula languidly wandered towards the center of the room and then faced the seven eeveelutions he was not yet acquainted with.

Well, maybe that isn't entirely correct. As a chronicler, he did know them fairly well, but he had not yet spoken to any of them, except for maybe the Jolteon the previous night, and even then only very briefly.

"First of all, allow to introduce myself. As my pupil has just said-or rather shouted, my name is Tesla. We're just … travelers in a pilgrimage." While the Galvantula's voice had initially been cordial and candid, it had turned murky for the last sentence. "The 'criminal' that attacked us last night, the Zoroark, was just… a random thief that assaults unassuming travelers such as us."

There was something about his tone that seemed off, his voice was almost quivering. But maybe that was normal for an insect, or perhaps it was just due to his advanced age.

But Skoll knew better. Being a dark-type made knowing when another pokémon is lying a second nature. Not everyone could trick a dark-type, and this Galvantula wasn't the kind that could.

"Hey, spidey, why would a 'random thief' burst into a Haecceity in the middle of the night? She wanted to go to jail, maybe? She wanted those three meals a day?"

Tesla remained stoic even under the Umbreon's pressure. "She was following us in the middle of the night, so naturally she had no way of knowing where we were going."

"Oh… So she couldn't see in the dark?"

"I guess…"

Skoll twisted his head to Espeon near him. "Hey, Lum, what type was Zoroark again?"

"Dark?"

"What a twist, a dark-type that can't see in the dark. Someone call the press."

"Boy, there's no need to be rude," Tesla said, frowning. "Well, maybe we don't know why she followed us, but that doesn't change the fact that she was a random burglar. We'd appreciate it you just forgot about this incident and let law enforcement do their job. The Garnet Oriole, de-facto police force of the Heptagonal Ring, can take care of this case."

That sounded reasonable enough for most of them. Agni and Lumis just wanted to go back to their respective nodes, Scylla had a show scheduled for later that day, and Ivy and Safira were just glad their father was fine. The 'thief' had nothing to do with them, letting the police take care of it seemed like the most sensible option.

Meanwhile, Zephyr was worried about something else: how did this Sylveon know all of their names? Was she a particularly resourceful eeveelution stalker? No, there was something weird she mentioned before…

"Hey, does this have anything to do with the chroniclers?"

Tesla's face turned so blue that anyone would have mistaken him for a bug/ice. Instead of answering the Jolteon's question, though, he turned to the Sylveon flanking him. "Kizuna… You were complaining before that our conversation with Linze was, in your own words, _super-duper-boring_, and that you wanted to meet these folks present here."

Kizuna nodded, unsure of why he seemed so uneasy. "Yes, master. Then you told me I could come out and play while you kept talking to Mr. Linze, on the condition that I didn't tell them anything secret about us."

"Yes, Kizuna, that's exactly correct. Then why, may I ask, did you tell them we are chroniclers?"

She stared at him befuddled for an unnecessarily long time, trying to process what he had just said. Her reaction finally came in the form of a naïve gasp. "A-Ah? But… that was supposed to be a secret?"

"Yes, Kizuna, dear, the existence of our secret society is supposed to be a secret."

"Oh heavens, I didn't even notice! I-I swear I didn't do it on purpose! May Manaphy swap my heart with that of a Trubbish if I'm lying!"

This all seemed surreal to the eeveelution group. Was this Galvantula implying that they were, in fact, chroniclers?

"Hey, hold it," Lumis sad. "You're kidding, right? You mean to tell us you two are chroniclers?"

Tesla momentarily contemplated lying to the cat. However, the dark-type Umbreon present in the room made any attempts at lying futile. He might as well just be sincere. "Yes, we're both chroniclers. Well, she's still in training, but you can consider her one too."

"I find that… hard to believe."

"Why so, lad?"

"I thought chroniclers were a mere myth."

"Well, if we're frank, most things you've heard about us are indeed just baseless myths. Chroniclers are a community of… academics that reside in the Observatory, the greatest source of knowledge in the whole Heptagonal Ring. You could see it as a markedly extensive library, if you will."

That was of course not enough to convince the inquisitive mind of a psychic-type like Lumis. "Could you prove what you're saying, somehow?"

"Gladly. Kizuna, if you'd be so kind…"

"Sure thing, master." Kizuna took two steps towards the Espeon, and he went back five. "Lumis, Espeon, male, pure psychic, 2'09'', 57.8 lbs. Ability: Magic Bounce. Preferred berry: Persim. Egg group: Field. IV spread: 16, 5-"

"Okay, enough."

"How many did she get right, Lum?" Skoll asked.

"Every single one. Including some I didn't know myself."

"Well, damn."

"Are you now convinced that we're chroniclers?" Tesla's question was directed not just at the Espeon, but at everyone else in the room too. With time, all of them ended up nodding or muttering a faint 'yes'. They figured if he had been lying, the Umbreon would have said something about it. "With that out of the way… Kizuna, what did you exactly tell them about the Zoroark?"

"About Naamah? I didn't tell them that she was from the Beacon!"

"Kizuna…"

"And I didn't tell them that they're a group that's trying to wipe out all Adamantium! Nor that they're gonna appear in the 7777th annual Heptagonal Ring celebration at the Conflux!"

"Kizuna, are you doing this on purpose?"

"Nuh-uh! What makes you think I want them to help us?"

"I didn't say anything like that."

"Yeah, because it would be untrue. That's why you didn't say anything like that, because it was untrue and you are a reasonable gentleman who doesn't say things that are untrue. Master, I'm _so_ proud of you!"

Tesla pondered for a second if he should scold the chirpy Sylveon. No, why bother at all? It's not like she ever listened, he thought. More worrying were the multiple glances directed at them, expecting answers.

The Flareon was the first to express his disquiet. "What do you mean 'wipe out all Adamantium'? What kind of lunatic maniac would want something like that?"

"Yeah, that's comic-book level villainy right there," Skoll said. "Does she also want to, I dunno, teach a Shedinja Sandstorm or something?"

"The Beacon is without any doubt a dangerous group," Kizuna said. "And that's why we need your help to sto-!"

"No, we don't," Tesla said, interrupting his pupil. "Whether they are a menace or not is still up to debate, but any rate, you should just let us chroniclers and the Garnet Oriole take care of this. Just like any other criminal."

"Sounds good to me," Agni said. "I should be going back to the Amber Crane already."

Agni stood up, tired of waiting around for almost an hour, and more than ready to go back to his home node. But the Jolteon and the Vaporeon in his proximity wouldn't let him abscond so easily.

"Hey!" Scylla yelled to catch his attention. "Are you really going to leave just like that?"

"Yeah, this sounds like it might be serious," Zephyr said. "Maybe we should lend a paw?"

It wasn't Agni, but Lumis who responded. "It's better to let the police handle this. This is out of our hands."

Skoll raised an eyebrow. "Uh? We aren't gonna do anything 'bout it?"

"The Garnet Oriole and these… chroniclers are more than prepared for this. We'd be little more than a bother."

"At least you seem reasonable," Tesla said. "I'm aware some of you know how to fight, but that Zoroark was an ex-chronicler, and thus knows all about your fighting styles. And the way she used illusions… A common Zoroark isn't capable of such feats."

"Why did she do, exactly?" Ivy asked, feeling a bit curious about the whole ordeal.

"I have motives to think she didn't even use a single attack during our strife, and perhaps didn't even move at all."

This didn't coincide with what Zephyr had witnessed the previous night. "What are you talking about? You were pretty beaten up yesterday."

"Her illusions somehow… made me feel pain."

"But you passed out!"

"Her illusions made me faint, too. Look, I don't understand it either, usually Zoroark can only use visual tricks."

"Tesla doesn't show any signs of having being attacked at all," Linze said. "No scratches, no grazes, no scrapes, no cuts of any kind, nothing. He's as good as new."

"Well, that's weird…" Ivy thought about it for a bit. Could there really be a Zoroark with such a sharp mastery of illusions, capable even of inflicting pain by illusions alone? It didn't really matter in the end, for this wasn't her fight. "So you guys can solve this on your own, right?"

"Yes, little lady. You can leave this matter to us," Tesla assured her, glad that at least some of them chose to stay away from the conflict. He couldn't just let some civilians put themselves in danger for no good reason. "All we need to do is contact the leader of the Garnet Oriole, Garm. He knows me, so there shouldn't be any problem."

"Wait, how are you two going to get there?" Linze asked.

"Through the Conflux, evidently. Why would we use any other route?"

Okay, time out. I think this deserves an explanation.

The Heptagonal Ring is, as its name implies, a heptagonal structure sitting in the middle of a desert. Now, if you were in a vertex in a heptagon and wanted to go to another vertex in the opposite side, you would have to run around the periphery of the heptagon, crossing many sides, yes? For the Heptagonal Ring that would mean that to travel between two distant nodes, you would have to cross many intermediate nodes, unless you're the kind of pokémon who can directly travel through the desert. For those of us not fortunate enough, the Conflux was created.

The Conflux is, put bluntly, an enormous neutral node in the middle of the desert that interconnects all of the seven nodes for easier travel. That way, journeys that would take many days can be shortened to half a day or so. It's also where all the celebrations and gatherings pertaining to the seven nodes as a whole are hold, by virtue of being neutral territory.

Tesla's idea of going through the Conflux was reasonable enough except for one little detail, which Linze gladly reminded him of. "But Tesla, access to the Conflux is cut off this whole week, due to preparations for the 7777th anniversary of the Heptagonal Ring."

"Oh, wait, you're right…" Tesla muttered. "Can't you… allow us access, exceptionally? You're one of the most influential leaders of the Heptagonal Ring, they'll listen to you."

"They probably will, yes… But they're using heavy Adamantium-based machinery and I don't know how long it would take them to resume their activities if I ordered to stop, even if only for a few hours. The festival is just four days away…"

"Four days…" Tesla mumbled. That was more than enough time to go by foot around the nodes. Plus, forcing them to stop their activities would mean interfering in civilians' affairs, and that was strictly forbidden for the chroniclers. That was what he had scolded Kizuna for earlier, what kind of role model would he be if he didn't even follow the chroniclers' rules?

"Master, we could just go around the nodes!" Kizuna proposed, apparently having reached the same conclusion that the Galvantula.

"It should take us three days to go through the Amber Crane, the Coral Sittella and finally arrive at the Garnet Oriole. One day should be enough for Garm to maximize his defenses. I mean, he must have already planned to deploy some security forces for such an important event, we just have to warn him to also prepare some pokémon who can see through illusions."

"That sounds good! But, uh, didn't you also say we should go back to the Observatory to try and dig up some info on the Beacon?"

The arachnoid sighed. "That's the problem. With the Observatory malfunctioning, I don't know how much time it would take us to gather some intel on the enemy."

"Then how about you go back to the Observatory and leave warning Garm to me?"

Tesla stared at his apprentice for a second. Certainly, that would solve his little problem. "That's… I'm not entirely convinced, are you sure you are ready for something like this…?"

"Well, it's just going from point A to point B, right? Easy peasy lemon squeezy."

Scylla darted to the Sylveon's side. "We should go with her just in case anything happens."

"Yeah, she'll be safer with us," Zephyr said, also moving beside her. "It's rare to find a mugger these days, but you never know."

Kizuna was delighted with their support, fighting back tears of joy. She excitedly looked around at the rest of eeveelutions in hopes that some more would join her cause. But no such luck.

"Anyone else…?"

"As I already told you, I should be going back to the Amber Crane," Agni said.

"The Amber Crane? That's our first stop in our epic journey to the Garnet Oriole! Come with us!"

"I don't particularly have anything against that, but remember that I'm staying at the Amber Crane once we get there."

"We'll see…"

"You said something?"

"Yep, I said 'we'll see', expressing my doubts about your notion of staying at the Amber Crane."

Agni didn't bother answering back. Let her say whatever she wants, he thought, it's not like she had a say in the matter in the end.

Now that she had gained the Flareon's support, even if only for one node, she turned to the Umbreon and the Espeon in hopes of further increasing her size of her team.

Skoll took notice of this. "So are we going, Lum?"

"Back to the Azure Nightingale? Right away."

"Ah? We aren't joining pink cupcake's cause?"

"It's not like we have anything against them, but we don't have much to offer."

"It's just warning Garm, right?" Ivy said. "Then we don't' need to send a mob."

"I'd rather everything about the chroniclers and the Beacon remain secret to the general public," Tesla said. "I think it would be preferable if Kizuna went alone. If you really want to go with her I won't stop you, but please try to be discrete about all this."

Scylla giggled. "No worries! Our lips are sealed!"

"Aren't you being way too paranoid, thought?" Zephyr asked the Galvantula. "We don't even know if the Beacon is that dangerous after all. Who knows, maybe they're just some harmless pranksters or a bunch of low grade outlaws."

Tesla shook his head from side to side. "They have at least one ex-chronicler among their ranks. That's not something we can simply overlook."

"Well, if you say so."

Kizuna looked enthusiastically at the group of eeveelutions surrounding her. She couldn't care less about the ex-chronicler on the run or the group that wanted to eliminate Adamantium, those things mattered little to her. What was important was that she now could finally spend some time with new 'friends', a term that few chroniclers were familiarized with. In fact she almost wanted to give her thanks to Naamah, since the Zoroark had given her an excuse to mingle with other pokémon her age, and of her same evolutionary species, no less!

"Zephyr, Scylla and Agni. Anyone else coming? No…?"

It seemed like no one else would join her, but she was perfectly fine with that. The mere fact that she could hang out with any pokémon at all already made her the happiest girl in the world, there was no reason to be sad. So what if those four didn't want to come? So what if Agni didn't want to follow her until the end? She had Zephyr and Scylla by her side, and that was more than enough.

With everything talked through, they decided it was about time they left for their respective destinations. It was still early in the morning, if they started moving right away they could easily reach an adjacent node by early evening.

Kizuna, flanked by Zephyr and Scylla, were headed to the Garnet Oriole, with Agni accompanying them until they reached the Amber Crane; Skoll and Lumis would just go back to their node, the Azure Nightingale; Ivy and Safira would just stay at the Beryl Calandra with their father; and Tesla would go back to the Observatory for reconnaissance.

While Linze stayed inside and Tesla bolted towards the Observatory, the eeveelutions decided to stop at the exit of the Haecceity to say goodbye to each other.

"I'm sorry, Ivy," Scylla said. "I had a show scheduled for today at the Beryl Calandra, but I'll have to miss it or we won't get to the Amber Crane today. I know you wanted to see it…"

"Nah, don't worry. I'm sure there will be another time."

"I also have to tell my troupe that I won't be travelling with them for a few days, at least until the day of 7777th anniversary. We have a performance arranged for that day, so I'll meet them again at the Conflux in four days."

"I can see you there, then! Nobody is gonna miss the 7777th anniversary."

"Yeah, we will be at the four-seven too," Skoll said. "So I guess we'll see you guys again in four days. Don't you get splashed to death by a Magikarp until then!" was Skoll's final parting remark before he left, followed by Lumis.

"We should be on our way, too," Agni said, impatience obvious in his voice.

Zephyr nodded. They had made his cousin wait long enough. "Okay, okay, we're leaving already."

"We should first go tell my troupe, though," Scylla reminded them. "Let's go back to their hostel real quick."

After they all said their goodbyes, Kizuna and her 'protectors' finally started their long journey to the Garnet Oriole, leaving the Leafeon and the Glaceon behind at the gates of the Haecceity.

Generally, Ivy would train under Higure for a bit and then walk around the market watching and analyzing all kinds of transactions until dusk, while Safira would lock herself in the library the whole day. Occasionally Ivy would be sent to arrange some trades with neighboring nodes, but most of their days were spent in monotony. Not that they minded. It was a peaceful, relaxing monotony.

"Well, I'm gonna take a little stroll around town and then I'll go to Higure," Ivy informed her younger relative. "Hey, wanna come, Saf?"

Safira's plan for the day consisted of visiting the library to see if they got any new interesting books, but she could do that later. Spending time with her sister? That trumped any other plan.

"Sure, I'll go."

"Neat!"

Before they could take off, they heard the gate to the Haecceity opening and their Linoone father emerging from it. He wore a rugged bag around his small body that almost double him in size, it was a miracle he could even walk around with it.

"Oh, good thing you're still here. I completely forgot to tell you but I have to go to the Cerulean Warbler."

"Business?" Ivy wondered. Of course it was business. Their father never left home for any other reason.

"Yes, the leader of the Cerulean Warbler himself has requested a trade, he wanted to buy some things from us. A messenger came yesterday saying it was quite urgent."

"But isn't the Conflux closed?" Safira asked, more confident around her family. "It will take you two days to get to their node."

"Yes, that's why I wanted to talk with you two. Since the 7777th anniversary's celebration will take place in four days, I won't be able to make it there and back, so I won't see you again until that day at the Conflux."

"Oh, sure, no problem…" Ivy said. "But don't you have to direct the preparations for the festival? Being a leader and all."

"Ugh… Yes, I also wanted you girls to take care of that in my absence."

"Saf and me?" The sisters looked at each other and shared a look of worry. "Wait, this celebration is very important, isn't it? I think you should involve yourself personally, we'd probably do a sloppy job. In fact, why don't we go to the Warbler in your place, so that you can dedicate yourself fully to that task?"

"That… doesn't sound like a bad idea…"

Interpreting his hesitation as a 'yes', Ivy took the bag away from his father and promptly wore it around her neck. It was much better suited for her, since both sisters almost doubled their father in size, weird as that was.

"The leader of the Cerulean Warbler, yes? That's, uh… Zvonimir…?"

"Yes, Ivy. Are you sure about this, though? Everyone is occupied with the festival, I'm not sure if I can afford to send someone for protection."

"Argh, c'mon. We'll be fine."

"Mh, maybe I'm worrying too mu- Uh, 'we'? Is Safira going with you?"

"I guess. I mean, you want to, right?" Ivy asked her.

Did she want to go with her? Safira briefly pondered that question, that really silly question. But of course she did! She'd be away from her library for four days, but her sister was more important than all the books in the world. "Of course!"

Their father briefly explained to them what they had to do: go to the Cerulean Warbler and sell his leader the medicines in the bag. It sounded simple enough, so they didn't want to waste more time. After all, with the festival around the corner their father should be very busy. Plus, weren't the Umbreon and the Espeon from before going to the Azure Nightingale? The sisters had to cross trough that node in order to reach the Cerulean Warbler. If they left right away maybe they could still join with them, and Ivy thought that would be make the journey more secure and perhaps a bit less monotonous.

They bid their father farewell before finally departing.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you aren't coming with us, Scylla?"<p>

"Don't worry, I'll be there for our spectacle at the Conflux in four days!"

Scylla was breaking the news about her future absence to her troupe, specifically to the Ludicolo, who apparently acted as a manager and spokesman for the whole group. A sad Ludicolo was certainly an unusual sight, although not an enjoyable one.

"B-But… you're the star of our show, the Genteel Mermaid! We can't perform without you!"

"Oh, of course you can, I've been ill before and you could act without me just fine! You're one of the best troupes in all the Lilac Kiwi, people aren't even going to notice I'm absent!"

Perhaps that was an overstatement. Of course people would notice the absence of the star of the show, but it's not like the others didn't have talent of their own. They could do without her if it was necessary, but only if it was absolutely necessary.

"Why, though?" the Ludicolo asked. She better had a good reason, it was not like her to skip on their shows like that. She was always professional to a fault.

"We have to help the chroniclmmph-"

A red paw shut her up before she could disclose any more information. She looked at the Flareon and met a disapproving glare, which made her remember that their little 'mission' was supposed to remain a secret to the citizens of the Heptagonal Ring. Of course, she fully trusted her troupe and knew there would be no danger in telling them, but still Tesla had been very specific about not spilling the beans… The Galvantula had only let them go with Kizuna begrudgingly and Scylla didn't want to risk it.

Then what should she tell Mr. Ludicolo to not make him worry? She needed to improvise a white lie, so she thought about it for a moment… and… she drew a blank, she couldn't think of anything and the Ludicolo was growing desperate. Quick, something, anything. Let's look around the room, uh… A wall, a small table, some chairs, a beautiful plant in a luxurious pot, a Flareon, a…

Wait, a Flareon.

Oh dear, he was _so_ gonna kill her for this, but she really couldn't think of anything else. She pushed her cheek against his and, putting on her most convincing smile, hoped for the best.

"We're going on a little date."

The death stare Agni gave her served to confirm that she was right, that he wasn't exactly fond of her idea. Well, at least as a water-type she had little to fear from a fire-type, she was lucky Zephyr and Kizuna had decided to stay back, or she might've seen the Jolteon first and chosen him for her plan instead of Agni. Although maybe Zephyr would've taken it more graciously. What's more, since the Jolteon wasn't in the room, she wouldn't have had to put on an act in front of the Ludicolo if she had chosen him instead. Okay, maybe she didn't quite think this through, but too late.

And hey, it was Agni himself who had insisted on coming with her just in case she 'messed up', which she almost did, but he still had followed her on his own volition so he'd have to man up to it now.

To her surprise, the Ludicolo wasn't angry, mostly intrigued. Wait, why was that a surprise? He never got mad at anything. "Oh, so you two are an item?"

"I know we met only yesterday but he's so lovely!" Scylla started nuzzling his cheek over-affectionately. "He's just so warm and fluffy!" That part was true, at least. As cranky as he was, his fur was really cozy to brush against, although that was true for all Flareon and most fire-types.

"Yeah, uh, well…" Agni was getting a bit fed up with her faked affection. How could the Ludicolo not notice? "But, um, it's just an experimental date, it's not like we're-"

"Hahaha, don't be shy, muchacho!" the Ludicolo chirpily encouraged him, back to this usual cackling self. "You don't know how much many would pay to be in your situation!"

What the Ludicolo didn't know is how much the Flareon would pay to be out of this situation. "W-Well, how about we leave already, Scylla?"

"Aw, you want us to be alone, just the two of us, honey?" Scylla once again nuzzled him, this time also plating a kiss on his cheek.

Okay, this act had gone for too long. Agni was starting to feel a bit awkward and feared what she might dare to do next, he wanted out of there _right now_. "Y-Yeah, so can we go now?"

"Haha! I sure am not getting in the way of two lovebirds, and I don't think the rest of the troupe will have a problem with this either!" The Ludicolo waved at them, finally indicating that they could leave. "Go and have fun! I'll see you again at the Conflux in four days! Adios!"

Agni took this as his cue to flee, and that's exactly what he did, with Scylla walking by his side. That hadn't been easy for either of them, even less so for Agni since he wasn't an actor, but it seemed like they had managed to fool the Ludicolo in the end, so all was good. Not sharing a single word on the way out of the hostel, they finally found a familiar Jolteon and a Sylveon waiting outside and started their journey to the Garnet Oriole, with the Amber Crane as their first stop.


	4. Opinion

Welcome back.

It happens sometimes in stories that the characters split and follow different routes, only to converge at a later time. That's what happened to these characters, although the division was rather… exact. Eight characters splitting into two groups of four each? How precise.

This may feel a little slow at the beginning, but please bear with me. We're at that wonderful time at the infancy of a story when it's still innocent and kind, when conflict is scarce and innocuous. For now, let us take our time to understand how these characters think, how they feel, what they desire, what–

Oh dear, look at me digressing again. We'll be following both parties at the same time, is what I was trying to say.

Now, let us resume our tale.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you aren't tired?" Agni asked incredulously at the Sylveon happily prancing around in front of his eyes. "You've been running the whole way. I don't understand how come you're not exhausted yet."<p>

Kizuna broke her quirky dance momentarily to answer the Flareon. "Are you joking, Agni? I've never felt so alive!" And then she just went back to hopping and flitting about like a madman, as if dancing a particularly bizarre one-person waltz.

"It's as if she were made of Adamantium, uh?" Zephyr joked, impressed by the Sylveon's absurd stamina. "These passageways that connect the nodes are rather long. I have to admit even I get a bit tired at the end."

"Are all chroniclers this durable?" Scylla asked. "That spider looked much more… worn out."

"Master Tesla? Oh, that's because he's pretty old, but I'm a young'un!" she happily proclaimed, her ribbons fluttering about. "I mean, I'm still older than you all, but not nearly by much! I'm just four months, three days and fifty-three seconds older than Zephyr."

Zephyr gaped at her, perplexed. Could she really know not only their respective dates of birth, but also the exact time elapsed between the births themselves? Was this the extent of the knowledge-granting powers of the Observatory? "Seriously, Kizzie? You aren't making that up?"

"Nope! I could also tell you the milliseconds! Do you want me to tell you the milliseconds?"

"Now I'm curious. Shoot, Kizzie."

"Six hundred and seven! The sum of three consecutive prime numbers, and also a prime itself to boot!"

"I don't understand a thing of what you just said, but it sounds cool."

Agni decided to ignore her gratuitous mathematical ravings and instead focus on what she had said before. She was older than them? "You're kidding me, right? You're older than us?"

"Only by a little. For instance, I'm older than you by one year, one month, eighteen da-"

"Okay, okay, don't give me the whole grocery list." Agni made a very quick mental calculation to confirm that she wasn't merely bluffing. One year and one month minus four months… Yes, nine months, the age difference between Agni and his older cousin. This whole 'chronicler' thing was starting to get a bit creepy.

"In fact, you're the youngest of all us, Agni." Kizuna further explained. It still irked him quite a bit that she was so casually calling him by his name, given he had just met her that morning. "Even if we include those other four eeveelutions you met at the Beryl Calandra, you're still the youngest. Actually, those four are all between Scylla and Zephyr in age."

Never mind those four he was definitely never going to see again, he was younger than the siren? Seriously? "I'm younger than the siren? Seriously?"

"Yeah, you're younger than the siren. Seriously. Only by thirty five days, though."

Kizuna had been right so far, and Agni didn't really have any reason to doubt her, but there was no harm in testing it. "Scylla, when's your birthday?"

"Uh? March 27nd."

"Mine is May 1st…"

Indeed, thirty five days separated those dates. As unbelievable as the whole 'chronicler' affair sounded, he couldn't really think of any other explanation for the Sylveon's extensive knowledge. This begged many other questions though.

"Fine, let's suppose you and your master aren't lying and that you really are chroniclers that come from an Observatory in the sky-"

"No, it's not in the sky," Kizuna corrected. "It's… uh, no wait, I can't tell you. Revealing its location it's strictly forbidden."

Agni shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. Now, how does this Observatory work? It's like… a hall full of telescopes or…?"

Kizuna giggled innocently at Agni's idea. She thought it very silly and maybe even a bit naïve, very contrasting with the Flareon's overly serious appearance. "No, it's actually… um, I'm not sure how to explain it. It's made of pure Adamantium, you know? You receive information just by standing there." Her explanation was highly unsatisfactory, but she genuinely didn't know much more.

"Okay, let's say this Observatory grants you access to this knowledge… so what? How come you seem to remember every single tidbit of information you have read – or received? Are you trying to tell us you have, I dunno, perfect memory or something?"

"Yup!"

Her single-syllable response came in a candid, almost childlike manner, making it hard to doubt its honesty. The other eeveelutions stared at her mutely for a handful of seconds.

Scylla was the first to talk. "Perfect memory? Is… Are you serious, Kizzie?"

"I think the technical term is 'eidetic memory', but yep, I have that."

Zephyr whistled. "But… that's incredible, isn't it? As a chronicler, you have access to any information you want, and now you're telling us you also memorize that information perfectly? Doesn't that make you… omniscient or something? You're amazing!"

"Uh? Ha, no, I don't go that far!" Kizuna scratched one of her cheeks coyly with one of her feelers. This was the first time someone other than her Galvantula tutor had directly praised her, and she wasn't entirely sure of how to react. "It's nothing special, really. We chroniclers don't have access to _all_ information in the world, there are many things even we don't know."

"But the other chroniclers don't have perfect memory like you!"

"Oh? Yes, they do! That's the only requisite for being chosen a chronicler, in fact."

Her revelation came as a shock. _Every_ chronicler had eidetic memory? That sounded greatly impractical. This 'eidetic memory' didn't sound like a common phenomenon, if it was a requirement for joining the chroniclers, their numbers would be quite short.

"There aren't many chroniclers then, I presume?" Agni asked. It was partly out of curiosity, but there was also a bit of fear lingering in his question. People who had access to any information they wanted and never forgot it? If they turned out to be numerous, he felt like he would never sleep tight again.

"Yeah, we're not too many. Eidetic memory it's a pretty rare condition, it's like… like seeing a shiny female Riolu with Pokérus. Oh, and with an adamant nature. There's a 3/53687091200 chance of that happening, if you're curious. Ooooh, boy, do I love me some good analogies."

Agni heaved a sigh of relief. Still, he would sleep easier if he knew the exact number, and given her perfect memory, the Sylveon wouldn't have much trouble remembering a single figure. "How many chroniclers are there?"

"Uh… I'm not sure, nobody is. We're usually isolated from one another and only know about those that are directly working with us, and since I'm still just a trainee, the only other chronicler I know is Master Tesla."

"Wait a second…" Scylla was wide-eyed now that the realization had hit her. "Are you saying that prior to coming here you had never met any other pokémon?"

"Pretty much. Tesla raised me alone since I was a super-kawaii-cute cub, and yesterday was the first time I've ever left the Observatory."

After hearing this, Scylla wasted no words. She just bolted to the Sylveon and broke into a hug. "Poor thing…"

Kizuna happily returned the hug with paws and bows. "Wee! Free hugs!"

Agni stared at the Sylveon, unsettled. She had been living alone, with only the spider to keep her company, for all of her life? No wonder she seemed so obsessed with hugs, she had received practically no physical contact in her life. The Flareon was almost starting to feel bad for her.

Meanwhile, the Jolteon looked infuriated, fangs showing. "What kind of heartless monster raises someone in total isolation? If I find that spider again…"

As much as she appreciated Scylla's warmth, Kizuna had to break her hug to defend his tutor from the Jolteon's accusations. "It's not Master Tesla's fault, Zephyr! All of the chroniclers are raised like that. Even Tesla himself had to go through this when he was little."

"So they're all like that? Seriously, they're starting to sound like a sect," Zephyr said almost in a roar. "Hey, you said that vixen that attacked us yesterday was an ex-chronicler, right? Damn, no wonder she's screwed in the head then, having to live like that can't be healthy."

Kizuna thought about Naamah, the Zoroark that had assaulted the Beryl Calandra's Haecceity the previous night. She still remembered her name, but that was no surprise given she was a chronicler.

"You said she wanted to get rid of Adamantium," Agni recalled. "Since you said the Observatory is made of pure Adamantium, I'm guessing that would have quite an effect on it. You think maybe that's the reason she's doing this?"

Kizuna didn't know much about how the Observatory worked, but she knew that Adamantium was essential for its correct functioning. If the Beacon somehow managed to succeed and remove all Adamantium from the Heptagonal Ring, the Observatory would become utterly useless, and in consequence the chroniclers would no longer have a reason to exist. Maybe this was what her group ultimately wanted? Ending the chroniclers?

"Then… you think the Beacon wants to bring the chroniclers down?" Scylla said, apparently having reached the same conclusion. "Maybe they're like… a group of discontented chroniclers?"

It has been a really long way through the tunnel, but Agni could finally see the exit on the distance. "Well, now we're just speculating. We have no way of knowing, and it shouldn't really matter to us anyway. The Garnet Oriole will take care of this once Kizuna contacts them. Most importantly, the Amber Crane is within sight, we'll reach it soon."

They all turned their gazes forward, seeing the entrance to a big yellow dome at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the crystalline passageway at the other exit of the Beryl Calandra, other four different eeveelutions were in their own way to the node in the opposite direction, the Azure Nightingale.<p>

"So thank goodness we managed to catch you guys before you left," Ivy told to an Umbreon and an Espeon not far from her. A Glaceon was walking close by her side. "I mean, it's not like it's the first time we come to the Azure Nightingale or anything, but other times we've come escorted by dad or Higure or someone, so it's nice to get some protection. Uh, not like we need it with me here, of course."

Skoll smirked, subtly moving closer to the plant-type Eevee. "Hey, if you were coming you could have just told us. We would've waited for you."

"But we didn't know, dad told us in the last minute. In fact, he wanted to come himself at first, but we offered to go in his place."

"But your father is the leader of the Beryl Calandra," Lumis said. It wasn't mean as a question, but the Leafeon still nodded and gave him a weak 'yes'. "Shouldn't he be busy preparing the upcoming celebration, then?"

"That's what we told him. I swear, he's so damn absent-minded sometimes…" Ivy breathed out a heavy sigh. That father of theirs… He was usually competent, but he committed some rookie mistakes every now and then. But then again he was a Linoone, it's not like their species were the sharpest tools in the shed, it was quite a prodigy that he had achieved his position being what he was. "But at least he has his heart in the right place. You need that to be the leader of a node that moves around so much money."

"Still, I find it a bit… weird that someone like him would be chosen," Lumis said honestly. This comment made Ivy raise an eyebrow, which he quickly noticed. "Uh, no offense. You just have to admit… he's not the first thing to come to mind when one thinks of a 'leader'."

Ivy looked away from him, her eyes eventually roosting on her sister. The Espeon's remark had bothered Ivy a little, but she thought it sensible not to get into arguments with someone she had met just one day ago. Her Glaceon sibling just walked with her eyes glued to the ground, as if the sand underneath the crystal floor was the most exciting sight to see. It didn't look like she was gonna talk any time soon.

"The leader of the Beryl Calandra isn't chosen. It's an inherited rank, and even then it was our mother who inherited the position, not dad."

"I see…" was all Lumis said. He didn't personally think that method was all that effective. Were they basing it on genetics? That still was no guarantee of anything, though.

Skoll's mind entertained a simpler idea that led him to a question. "Hey, Ivy, does that mean that one of you two is gonna be the next leader?"

"Me, yes," the Leafeon answered. "The firstborn child of the leaders is the next heir, so I'm next in line."

"And your first child would be the next leader…"

"Yes…?" That was a bit of a weird question, but Ivy just shrugged it off.

Lumis took notice of Skoll's dimly bright rings and sighed. He's thinking weird things again… Time to change the topic real quick. "Most nodes leaderships are hereditary, but a few nodes use different methods to select their leaders."

"Like the Blue Warbler," Skoll said. That he had changed the topic at all was good enough for Lumis, he didn't even bother correcting him on the 'Cerulean Warbler' name. "When their leaders die or step down those guys hold a tournament and the winner is chosen new leader. I swear that node is obsessed with battles. Hah, I bet they called you there to sell them battle equipment!"

"Medicines, actually," Ivy corrected him, eying the many remedies lying in her bag. The bag itself was her size and fit her pretty well, she didn't even remember she was wearing it until they started talking about the medicines.

"That counts as battle equipment. Must be for the wounds."

Ivy hadn't really stopped to consider why the leader of the Cerulean Warbler had so suddenly requested medicines, but Skoll's theory seemed like a sound explanation. The obsession of the Warbler with fighting was well known all thorough the seven nodes.

Safira just remained silent through all the way, not even raising her gaze from the floor to face her new companions. Why should she? It's not like she had anything to say. At least they didn't look too intimidating. Well, maybe the Umbreon did, but the Espeon – no, the Espeon also looked a bit intimidating, but they didn't look _too_ intimidating. Not as much as most strangers, at least. Perhaps it was because they belonged to her same species? Oh well, no matter. They would stay at the Azure Nightingale and she'd be alone with her sister for the rest of their journey.

Much to their feet's joy, the entrance to the blue-colored Azure Nightingale finally came into view. The pathway they had crossed to reach that node had been long and tiring, they needed to rest their fatigued bodies. While it was possible to advance through two consecutive nodes in a single day, the journey proved just too tiring for most pokémon, and the only pokémon who could afford it were the winged ones or those that were extraordinarily fast. At a different time, the Conflux at the center of the Heptagonal Ring made it easy to travel between any two nodes in merely one day, but on the strange occasion the Conflux was inaccessible, it was highly recommended to only cross one node per day, to avoid excessive exhaustion.

However it may be, the Azure Nightingale was now right in front of them.

* * *

><p>"Well, this is the Amber Crane," Agni said, vaguely pointing with a paw around himself. "There really isn't much to see here. I recommend you go to one of the hostels around here to book a room and call it a day."<p>

"Are you joking? It's still midday!" Scylla reproached him. "What do you want us to do, get into a hostel's room and wait idly until night falls?"

"Yeah, let's check around the city!" Kizuna chirpily suggested.

Everywhere he glanced, all buildings Zephyr could see were houses or factories. With the exception of the occasional inn, there really didn't seem to be anything even remotely entertaining in the node. He felt a bit offended that the node that shared a color with him just so happened to be the most boring one. "Agni's right that there's nothing to see around here, though."

"Well, it's the Amber Crane, after all," Agni said. "We're known for being great workers. We leave the 'fun' aspect to other… laxer nodes." He couldn't help but leer subtly at Scylla as he pronounced that last statement.

"I choose to take that as a compliment," Scylla said, meekly sticking out her tongue. Much to her amusement, Agni responded with a sigh. "Been here at the Amber Crane other times, and the inns are pretty much the only places you can go to unwind a bit."

"Ah, yes, the inns here are always very lively and full of people!" Kizuna recalled. It seemed like the Observatory also gave her basic information about places, not only pokémon.

"Yeah, you guys go do that and try to have fun," Agni said, a bored look in his face. "Now if you excuse me, I'm gonna go back to my home. I wish you good luck on the rest of your journey. I'll see you at the Conflux in a few days, cousin."

"Hey, let's go see your home!" Scylla proposed, making Agni recoil. She wasn't provoking him on purpose, but she had to admit she enjoyed his reactions.

"What? No. Why?"

"Why not? It sounds more fun than going to a boring old inn, plus I'm curious about seeing a friend's house."

Agni was starting to get a bit fed up with the Lilac Kiwi's performer. Who did she think she was? They met just yesterday! Did she think she could do anything she wanted just because she was a little bit famous? They were already at the Amber Crane, this is where they were supposed to leave him alone! "Hey, I don't remember saying I wanted to be your friend."

"You don't want us to be friends?" Although in all honesty the comment had hurt the Vaporeon a little, her theatrics allowed her to dissimulate it with ease. In fact, why not tease him a bit to get even? She covered her face with her large tail, making sure a skittish simper could be seen under it. "My, how brazen, just 'friends' isn't enough for you? To think you'd be so straightforward, Agni… Is this the famed fervent passion of fire-types?"

Agni wouldn't dignify her actions by responding to her. There was no need to explain anything, since the other two eeveelutions already knew well that Scylla was just joking.

Well, maybe the Sylveon didn't. "Woo-hoo! I mean, I knew you two got along, but I didn't know you two _got along_!"

Great, Kizuna was interpreting his silence however she wanted. What's more, instead of making Scylla drop the topic, this only seemed to further encourage the water-type. "I know, right? I'm gonna start thinking that lie we told Mr. Ludicolo about being mates wasn't such a lie after all…"

"We didn't say anything about 'mates', we just said we were dating." Only after Agni finished his phrase did he catch on what he had just said. If he had known the move Curse, he would have casted it on himself.

Zephyr started cackling noisily. "Whoa, whoa, you what? You two are… oh my god, seriously?"

Agni prayed to all known fire legendary pokémon to give him patience. "That Ludicolo didn't want her to leave, so she had to make something up." He turned to the Vaporeon, who still had a cheeky smirk on her face. "By the way, you really couldn't think of anything better?"

Scylla pawed at the floor innocently. "Hehe…" She couldn't think of an excuse then and she couldn't think of an excuse now. Why did he care so much, anyway? It was just a little acted farce, not unlike her many stage plays.

Kizuna was getting a tad confused. Used to the flawless ways of the Observatory, this method of exchanging information by throwing around rushed dialogues at each other had left her a bit dizzy. "Then… you didn't tell Mr. Ludicolo that you were dating?"

Agni glared at her with exasperation. Was it that difficult to understand? "Yes, we did…"

Kizuna's face lit up. "Oh, so you _are_ dating!"

"No, we aren't."

"But you told Mr. Ludicolo that you were. Why would you have told him that if you weren't, uh? Your argument doesn't stand! Another victory for logic!"

"Oh Moltres, just… Look, will you all shut up if I let you into my home?"

The whole situation was starting to turn ridiculous. Fine, he thought, they can come home if they want. It's not like he had any particular problem with that. The other eeveelutions also seemed to agree to follow him to his house and stop pestering him. Scylla had already had her fun but was starting to feel a bit bad about him, and Zephyr was just glad he would spend a little bit more time with his cousin. Meanwhile, Kizuna was thinking that if Agni and Scylla were mates, _and in her mind they totally were_, then he would want to come with Scylla, and consequently with her. More people! The problem of Agni wanting to stay at the Amber Crane had apparently solved itself!

Agni's house was relatively close so it took them not even ten minutes to reach it, luckily for their tired feet. It was a small and unassuming pale brown building devoid of any significant decorations, identical to the many residential homes that surrounded it. In fact, the whole neighborhood seemed very dull and drab.

They accessed its interior through a medium-sized door that almost tripled them in size. There was actually no reason for the excessive length of the door, as none of the house inhabitants were even half its size, but that seemed to be the standard size for mass fabricated doors. The inside was as unambitious as the outside, some tables, some chairs, a few shelves here and there, solid Adamantium walls; it was simply a residential place like any other.

"Opal, I'm home," Agni said to the air around him. He wasn't exactly shouting, his voice was low and plain.

"Hey, Agni! You're back from the Beryl Calandra already, uh?" said a voice coming from a nearby room. It was distinctly feminine, sounding graceful and yet remarkably spirited.

In a matter of seconds, the owner of the voice walked into their sight. It was a regal-looking Ninetales with nine beautiful pristine tails waving behind her. Judging by her appearance and voice, she could only be a few years older than them.

Scylla froze in the spot when she saw the golden-furred vixen. Agni was living with a female? Maybe they were…? If so, her kittenish attitude towards the Flareon might have been a bit improper on her part. No wonder he had been so reluctant around her.

"Oh, you're with Zephyr and two girls." The Ninetales that Agni had previously called Opal turned to him, suddenly adopting a jaunty smirk that highly contrasted with her decorous look. "Coworkers, right? I was gonna ask you if they were friends, but I know you wouldn't make friends unless you were ordered to."

"You're exaggerating," was all the Flareon said back at her. "Anyway… these here are Scylla, Kizuna and you know Zephyr already."

"A Vaporeon and… the other one is an Eevee evolution too, right? The fairy-type one, I think?" Opal asked, doubting her memory. It was normal for an Eevee to know all of their possible evolutions by heart, but other species usually didn't unless they were acquainted with one or were especially knowledgeable.

"Yes, Miss Opal! You're exactly right!" Kizuna was already by the Ninetales' side, her bows tentatively fluttering around the fox's body.

Opal responded with an affable smile, tapping the Sylveon's shoulder with a paw. "You can drop the 'Miss', Kizuna. I'm what, three or four years older than you?"

She didn't bother mentioning that, yes, she was four years, three months and seventeen days older than her. "You can call me Kizzie!" As much as she wanted to jump-hug her, her master had warned her that most pokémon react badly to that for some reason. What a weird world that was.

"Haha, very well, Kizzie! I'd also let you shorten my name if it weren't so short already." Now that Opal was acquainted with this 'Kizzie' fellow, she directed her attentions to the Vaporeon. "And you were Scylla, right? My pleasure." They both bowed courteously at each other. "So who are you, then? Are you really coworkers after all, or has my boorish brother finally made some friends?"

"Brother…?" Scylla repeated absent-mindedly. Oh, so they were siblings after all… That explained why they were living together, and why Zephyr seemed to know her already. That made sen – No, wait, that didn't make any sense at all. How could a Flareon and a Ninetales be siblings? That was simply not possible.

Time out. You're a human, right? You probably already know this since it is a well-known fact, but when two pokémon of opposite genders breed their offspring will belong to the basic form of the female progenitor, due to some enzyme shenanigans that this troubadour wouldn't dream of boring you with. There are some exceptional cases with Ditto and certain pokémon that can breed with incenses, but they are irrelevant to our tale so I won't bother mentioning them.

The consequences of this theory were immediately obvious to the Vaporeon: the mother of a Flareon had to be an Eevee or one of its evolutions, but the mother of a Ninetales couldn't be anything other than a Vulpix or another Ninetales. Even if we included Ditto into the picture it still wasn't possible.

Kizuna had the answer to this apparent enigma. "That's because they're only half-siblings! They share only their father."

"Yes, indeed, Kizzie…" Opal looked with curiosity at the Sylveon. How did she know? "Oh, you told her, Agni?"

"N-Yes, I did," Agni lied. He hadn't told Kizuna anything about Opal, so she presumably knew due to being a chronicler. Of course, he couldn't just tell her sister that, the less they were involved with this whole situation the better.

She seemed to buy it. "Well… Then who are you, after all?"

"Well, we are going to the Garnet Oriole to…" Scylla couldn't just tell her about their true objective of contacting the Oriole's leader. Time to think of another white lie, and hope it is a better one than last time. "I'm from the Lilac Kiwi and I have to star in a show at the Garnet Oriole in two days. They're accompanying me as defenders."

"Oh, you're from the Kiwi?" Opal's gaze set on his brother, her eyes turning sour. "I hope Agni hasn't been too rude to you. He… doesn't like your node very much."

Scylla smiled dryly. "Yes, I had noticed." What was exactly his problem with the Lilac Kiwi, anyway? She had never met someone who was so bitter towards them.

"The Conflux is closed so you'll have to go the long way," Opal told them. Of course, it was something they already knew. "You should pass the night at our node and resume your trip tomorrow. Unfortunately we only have three beds, so two of you will have to sleep at a hostel."

"That's no problem! I always wanted to sleep at one!" Kizuna started skipping around Scylla. "We can go, right, Scylla? Right?"

"Uh? Yeah, I guess." Since the other three were family, Scylla thought it made sense for them to keep the beds at the house. Although Kizuna and her could just sleep at the floor… No, there was no point in doing that. "We don't want to be a bother."

Opal shook her head with a breezy giggle. "Nah, you wouldn't be. If we had more beds we'd let you stay, really."

"Oh well…"

Now that that was settled, what should they do? It was evening, they still had some time to kill before sleep. Scylla recalled inns being mentioned earlier…

"How about we go to an inn for the time being? Lots of pokémon gather there."

Opal nodded in agreement. "Nice choice. You always find travelers with interesting stories to tell."

"You can also get the occasional duel challenge," Zephyr added. "Fighting against other pokémon from all around the Heptagonal Ring helps you refine your battling skills, and it's always interesting seeing the battle styles of others."

"That too. I know you're not a defender like us, Agni, but it wouldn't do you harm to polish your abilities a bit."

Scylla considered Opal's last comment. She was a defender like Zephyr too? She would have never guessed with the Ninetales' spotless hide, Zehpyr's fur looked much scruffier by comparison.

Nobody seemed to oppose the idea of visiting an inn, with the exception of a particular Flareon. "Opal, I have a job to do. That Adamantium isn't gonna heat itself."

"No, you don't have a job to do. Didn't you get the memo?" Opal asked his stepbrother, who cocked his head. "The four-seven festival is in a few days so most pokémon are busy preparing it. We don't have enough available people left to actually work at the factories."

"What are you saying? I know there are many pokémon who aren't working at the Conflux, like me or that Hitmonchan."

"Yes, but you're not too many. It wouldn't be productive for our node to open the factories with so few workers. Oh, and that Hitmonchan still isn't healthy, by the way."

He was still ill? Agni had heard it was just a minor ailment, it surprised him a bit that the Hitmonchan hadn't recovered yet. Oh well, they told him the symptoms were nothing worth mentioning, he would likely get well in time for the infamous 7777th festival.

At any rate, it seemed like Agni no longer had an excuse to skip on going to the inn with the rest of the group. And all in all he didn't exactly dislike the idea either, that was what he usually did on holidays anyway. Not like there were any other more interesting places in the Amber Crane, after all.

"Fine, fine. Don't wanna be a killjoy."

"Cool! It will be super-duper-awesome!" Kizuna yelled in a high-pitched voice.

Opal had to cover her ears, being the one closest to the Sylveon. "Wow, is Kizzie always so… enthusiastic?"

"I guess." Scylla watched with a smile as the Sylveon quickly run to the door and started motioning at them with one of her bows to step outside, eager to enter an inn for the first time in her life. Scylla couldn't help but giggle softly at how peppy she was.

Well, why make her wait? They all agreed on going to the nearest inn, which was just a few minutes away from them.

* * *

><p>At the Azure Nightingale, four eeveelutions walked through the node's residential district towards its Haecceity. The Azure Nightingale wasn't nearly as monotonous as the Amber Crane, enjoying a great diversity of libraries, hospitals and research centers of all kinds, as well as the highest concentration of schools and institutes in all the nodes. It even hosted some ludic centers, mostly using Adamantium-based technologies as their foundation, which were the node's specialty. The Espeon and the Glaceon in the group remained silent while the Umbreon and the Leafeon held a conversation, bored of the long trip.<p>

"So you know our leader?"

"Of course I do, Skoll. I'm the daughter of one, remember?"

"Uh, so…?"

"Most of the leaders have come see our father at some point or another, and we have also accompanied him in many of his commercial and political trips to other nodes. We are acquainted with almost all the leaders."

"So… what do you think about him? Bit of a weirdo, uh?"

"Yeah, Soren is… peculiar, but he's a nice guy. Sometimes. Why were you gonna see him again?"

"Just reporting our successful trade with the Amber Crane. Boring stuff, you sure you wanna come?"

"I don't see why not. It's not like we have anything better to do."

While Ivy thought the leader of the Azure Nightingale, Soren, was quite the crackpot, she had to admit she did find him kind of funny at times. Plus, since he was friends with their father he would most likely let them stay at the Haecceity, and while she and her sister weren't strangers to sleeping at hostels, spending the night in what was practically a small palace was much more tempting.

After a short walk they found themselves before the Haecceity of the Azure Nightingale, located at the center of the node. What they first noticed was the Flygon in flight emerging from the building.

"Hey, Jormund! How's life been treating you?" Skoll raised a paw both to call the Flygon's attention and as a greeting.

"Oh, you two are back," the Flygon replied in a rather rough voice. He easily doubled the eeveelutions in size even after landing. "You're here to report to Soren, I presume? Oh, and who are the misses?"

"They're the daughters of Linze, Ivy and Safira. You know, the leader of the Beryl Calandra," Lumis answered.

"Oh, they are?" Jormund rose in the air slightly only to land beside the sisters a few moments later. He bowed his head in reverence. "Well met. I take it you've come to visit Soren, yes?"

"Ah, you could say so…" Ivy couldn't help recoiling a bit at the sight of the giant insect before her. What truly shocked her was how polite he was acting in spite of his appearance and coarse pitch of voice.

"Please, make yourselves at home. If there is anything you need, feel free to contact me or Soren. Or Lumis and Skoll, for that matter." It was at that moment that Jormund noticed that all of them evolved from the same pokémon and thus belonged to the same species, but decided to give it no further thought. Mere coincidences. "If you require the services of a defender, Skoll and I are at your disposal, and even Lumis has some basic combat training. Speaking of Lumis, he's one of our head researchers, so contact him if you need help with any of our node's constructs or contrivances."

"Oh, that's… very nice of you." Ivy wasn't entirely sure of how should she act around the Flygon. She had never been an enthusiast of protocol.

"Well, if you excuse me I should be on my way to the Conflux. I must make sure the preparations for the 7777th anniversary of the Heptagonal Ring are going well. I wish you a nice day."

Before bowing one last time, the insectoid dragon finally departed, leaving the girls with an astounded look in their faces.

"'The Desert Spirit'…" Safira muttered under her breath.

Ivy was the only one close enough to hear her. "Uh? What?"

"N-No, nothing."

"'The Desert Spirit'?" Ivy repeated.

Lumis' ears perked up. "Oh, you heard about that? That's how the Flygon are colloquially called."

"Uh? Why?"

"Because the flapping of their wings can cause small sandstorms around them," Lumis answered. "Remember how Jormund said he was going to the Conflux? All entrances are closed right now, but he can still reach it going directly through the desert."

"W-What? Going through the desert?" Ivy gasped in surprise. How could any pokémon possibly cross the desert? It was constantly drown in a turbulent sandstorm, most pokémon could only endure a few minutes under its ravaging arid winds, ground types being the only ones able to withstand it for a bit longer. The idea of someone being able to cross it was laughable, but it didn't seem like the feline was joking. "That's seriously incredible. If it has sand related powers I guess it could be possible, but it's still amazing for a, uh, Ground/Bug type."

Skoll snickered. "You're not gonna believe it, but that thing was a Ground/Dragon type."

"That was a dragon…?" Ivy stared at the distance wide-eyed, looking at the direction the Flygon flew off. It wasn't even a bug type at all? And a dragon of all things? She made a mental note to never judge an unknown pokémon by its appearance.

"Well, shall we enter the Haecceity, then?" Lumis reminded them of their current objective, meeting the leader of the Azure Nightingale. After a group nod, the four of them accessed the blue palace-like building that served as the Haecceity for the node.

The Haecceity was mostly empty, as its leader was its only inhabitant. After a short walk through an equally short hallway, they found themselves before a regal-looking green snake of an imposing size.

"Soren, we're back," Skoll said to the Serperior, making him face them.

"Oh, nice to see you boys again!" His tone was fairly chirpy, perhaps somewhat unbecoming of someone with such a majestic look. He took notice of the two female eeveelutions alongside his node's ones, but didn't seem to give it much mind.

Lumis proceeded to inform his superior about the success of their errand, although he assumed he would most likely have guessed already. Their presence in that room should be proof enough that they were successful. "We –"

"Hold!" Soren shouted, almost in a shriek. "Talk using only one vowel!"

"What…?"

"Okay, use only the vowel 'a' then!"

Lumis sighed. This again… Oh well, he was too stubborn, it was easier to simply play along. "That was a…" He silently tried to think of a synonym for 'complete' that only used a's. But wait, why bother with an adjective at all? Let's just say a synonym for 'success' and call it a day. "That was a… g-grand act? Damn, that's hard."

"Haha! Nice one, Lumis!" Soren started nodding with his eyes closed and a big smile. "Wait, I mean – Excellent deed, velvet legs! The feeble yet resplendent evergreen slender serpent present here reveres yer new precedent-less clever speech! Cheers!" Satisfied with the purple feline, Soren turned to the Umbreon. "Your turn, Skoll! Tell us how the mission went using only one vowel!"

"Good," was all he said, with a smirk and a wink that seemed to say 'That's all you're getting from me.'

"Aw, you're boring… Oh, now the girls! What are you doing here?"

Ivy decided to be the one to talk, being the elder one. "We were just passing by and decid-"

"Hold! Talk in palindromes!"

"Ah… uh… Eevee? Er… Alomomola…?" Ivy gently scratched the leaf on her head. Did he really expect her to talk using only palindromes? He was mad! She turned to her sister, thinking maybe she would fare better. "Argh, Safi, Baton Pass me, please?"

Of course, Ivy was talking metaphorically, she wasn't asking her sister to literally use the Baton Pass move. Safira nodded at this and started thinking. It took the Glaceon a little over three minutes, but Soren just waited silently, his ruby eyes staring at her expectantly. For all his weirdness, they had to admit the Serperior was at least patient. Safira finally thought of something, but that would require her butchering her grammar a bit. Or a lot. Well, let's give it a try…

"I, sis, non dad, solos. Selfless civic tenet."

Soren brought his tail up to his face, rubbing his chin softly with the leaves on the tip of his tail, all while humming pensively. "That's a really nice try, Safira, dear, but 'selfless' isn't actually a palindrome."

"Oh… sorry…"

"No, no, that was really neat. Now, let's see if I can decipher that gobbledygook you just hurled… uh… You two came here without your dad, with 'selfless civic tenet'. Which I guess is something about… your principles? Civic… Oh, a political visit, you mean? Does Linze need anything?"

Well, that wasn't exactly what the Glaceon had tried to tell him, but there was only so much she could express using just palindromes. Ivy tried to correct him, to tell him that their visit was not bureaucratic, but mere courtesy. "No, Soren, we –"

"Palindromes, Ivy!"

"Argh… Er… Um…This…" She was _so_ done with this. "Dammit, I'm mad!"

"Woo, a palindromic phrase! Nice one, Ivy!"

"Wha – No! Just… Urgh, is this really necessary?"

"Okay, I'll give you an easier one, um… Don't use the letter 's'!"

Ivy glared at him as if he were a madman. Although maybe he was. In her mind at least, he definitely was. "Look, Sor – um, look, Serp – well, dammit. Look, _dude_, we're on our way to the Cerulean Warbler, and we decided to pay you a visi – er, we decided to… drop by." She was starting to wonder if the Haecceity's beds were really worth going through this. "We've come here merely to greet you, and to know if you could maybe let me and Safi – me and my sist – me and my Glaceon relative at your beds – uh, at your… uh…"

"At your 'plural form of bed'," Skoll finished the sentence for her, casually putting a paw over her shoulder. "C'mon Soren, we're tired from the trip. Cut us some slack."

"Okay, okay…" Soren nodded, understanding. He'd had his fun, but now he had to attend to his guests, for he was a wonderful host. "You can pass the night here, of course. Now, I have a request for Lumis here."

"Me…?" the feline' ears perked up once he heard his name being mentioned.

"Why yes. You surely know that the 7777th annual celebration of the Heptagonal Ring will be held in three days, yes? Well, an emissary from the Lilac Kiwi contacted us yesterday, and they apparently need help with one of our machines at their node. Model G-2401-T."

"The G series are… those devices that cause light effects, right?"

"Yep, they're gonna need those nifty visual effects for their shows at the 7777th anniversary. We can't send them a replacement because most of our personnel it's at the Conflux working on the preparations, so could you go to the Lilac Kiwi and see what the problem is and if you can fix it?"

"I guess I could…" Why not? Lumis couldn't really think of any reason to refuse. He knew how important this anniversary was to all the pokémon in the Heptagonal Ring, he couldn't let the most cherished event in the last years to be spoilt because of one malfunctioning machine.

"Oh, you're a lifesaver, Lumis!" Soren nodded his head a number of times. That was one problem less! "Skoll, you'll be making him company, right?"

Skoll grinned. Duh, of course he was going. Did Soren really though even for a second that he would leave his best friend unprotected? "I'm a defender, it's my duty. Not gonna leave my pal on his own."

"The Conflux is closed, so you'll have to pass through the Cerulean Warbler in order to reach the Lilac Kiwi," Soren explained, although they had reached that conclusion already. "Hey, you could go with the girls, since they're going to the Warbler too."

None of the eeveelutions raised any complaints, although that didn't mean they necessarily agreed. Safira would have preferred going alone with her sister, and Lumis thought a bigger party would attract the attention of the occasional brigand, although on the other hand it would also mean they would be more protected in a double-edged kind of fashion. As for the other two, Ivy didn't care much one way or the other and Skoll wouldn't mind some female company for a change.

Ultimately, it would've been unwise to split up when they were going to the same place.

"It's still early, though," Lumis noted. "I should go back to the labo–"

"Nope," Soren cut him short. "You can't enter your laboratory today."

"Uh? Why not? Has something happened to it?"

"Nah, it's just that we're not opening it again until after the festival. As I already said, we're low on personnel, so it wouldn't be energy efficient."

"Why don't we take a stroll around town?" Ivy suggested. "Many things to see around here."

While not the most lively node, the Azure Nightingale did have many interesting spots for tourists and travelers to visit. A myriad of libraries for scholars or those who were simply curious, galleries showing the latest Adamantium-based gadgets and contraptions and a variety of game centers for pokémon of all sizes and species. With not much else to do, the eeveelutions agreed to walk around until night, stopping at many of the aforementioned places.

* * *

><p>Kizuna had never seen so many pokémon gathered in the same room. The inn easily hosted more than seventy different species of pokémon, with almost half of them coming from other nodes. There were many groups talking and laughing and even a few pokémon trading items. Who should she talk to first? There was a Mr. Mime doing a wonderful act of mimicry, but the Smeargle painter behind him also seemed quite interesting. And what about that singing Chatot, or the Kecleon that was changing his skin color at the rhythm of the music?<p>

The pokémon that had come with her to the inn split in various directions; Agni and Opal were talking to a Monferno colleague of them who was also unoccupied, Zephyr was sharing some battle strategies with a bulky Primeape and Scylla was talking to a young group of girls that seemed to be fans of her. But Kizuna simply couldn't choose, there were just too many interesting pokémon in the inn!

However, there was someone who eventually caught her eye: a lone Archeops sitting on a chair in a corner of the room. And, while his multicolored plumage was certainly breath-taking, that was not what caught her attention. No.

What truly shocked her was that she had no idea who that pokémon was. Kizuna had never seen that particular Archeops back at the Observatory. Due to her previous experience with Naamah, who she hadn't been able to identify either, Kizuna remained cautious as she approached the bird.

On a closer examination, this Archeops did look quite affable, but then again so did the Zoroark. Friend or foe, Kizuna thought politeness was the way to go. "H-Hello, mister. Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Hello, kid," he said in a raspy voice that reflected his advanced age. "I'm but another travelling wayfarer who is fond of travelling around the nodes. An explorer, if you will. Maybe you want to hear one of my many anecdotes?"

Interesting, Kizuna thought, but that wasn't what she wanted to know. How was she going to ask him, though? There was always the possibility he was a member of the Beacon, and Kizuna feared trouble might arise if that was the case. And if he was just a chronicler unassociated with the Beacon, what was he doing there? He could also have been simply an outsider, a rock-type such as him could have survived in the desert for long. Too many possibilities… Maybe she should humor him and let him tell her an anecdote? Perhaps she could learn something about the Archeops that way.

"Uh, okay."

"Well, let's see…" He brought a wing to his chin and started rubbing it lightly. "Oh, I remember an interesting legend I heard about in one of my travels. Do you want to hear it?"

"Okay." Kizuna didn't really care what he talked about, as long as it could shed some light on the identity of the rainbow-colored avian.

"Long, long ago, much before the Heptagonal Ring was constructed, much before you or even I were born, Arceus created the space-time continuum that today holds our world together. In order to do this he created a mighty pokémon to assist him, and imbued him with the power to control space and time."

Kizuna tilted her head, gaping at the bird in awe. Arceus? Was he really gonna tell her a tale about mythical pokémon? Information about legendary pokémon was hard to come by in the Heptagonal Ring, libraries were mostly devoid of such information, and chroniclers had no better luck, since the Observatory only registered information on the inhabitants of the Ring and there were no legendary pokémon to be found in it.

"However, Arceus noticed he had made a terrible mistake, for no pokémon could ever be strong enough to maintain so much power. Thus, Arceus decided that the best course of action would be to split this creature into two different beings: Dialga, the emperor of time, and Palkia, the monarch of space."

So far Kizuna hadn't heard anything she didn't know. Those were well known legends one could find in any local library. Even most kids would have heard about that one.

"However, the two dragon twins quickly grew jealous of each other. They both wanted the power of the other to return to their original glory, and so they entered a quarrel. Since they knew Arceus would object to their feud and would try to intervene, they moved to a distant desert in the middle of nowhere where they know the scrutinizing gaze of their creator could not reach."

Okay, that part was new. Was he talking about the desert they were in?

"After seven years of struggle, the dragons finally came to an understanding and accepted that the world needed the both of them, so they left the desert and rejoined their creator to help him fully shape the world."

Kizuna had found the legend more interesting that she had thought at first. Did that really happen? Did those two titans really clash in the very desert they were living in? Then she remembered why she had asked the bird to tell her a story at all, Kizuna wanted information on the Archeops' identity. Now she knew that the bird somehow had access to some rather unusual knowledge, although there was always the chance he was just making it up, as many so-called 'adventurers' were known to do.

But at any rate, whether this Archeops belonged to the Beacon or not, he didn't seem like a threat, at least not an immediate one. Should she leave the bird alone? This traveler really hadn't done anything, and Kizuna couldn't just go attacking anyone suspicious, that would make Tesla very angry.

"Well, it's been nice talking to you, Miss…"

"Kizuna, but you can call me Kizzie," the Sylveon answered by reflex. Argh, she wasn't supposed to tell the Archeops her name… But at least this seemed like a good chance to ask for his. "And you are…?"

"Aeon." What a peculiar name. Kizuna thought she should remember it just in case, although of course it's not like her eidetic memory would let her forget it. "Well, Kizzie, I'm afraid it's getting quite late, and these old bones need to rest. It's been fun, I hope we can meet again in the future."

Oh, the traveler was leaving? But it was late, that much was true. She really had no reason to take up any more of his time. "Ah, yes, of course."

"Until we meet again." The bird gave a bow of courtesy to the Sylveon before leaving through the door.

That was a cliché way to depart, Kizuna thought, but oh well. She took a quick glance around the inn just in case there were more unidentified pokémon like the Archeops but there was no one else she didn't recognize, so she breathed a sigh of relief. She also caught sight of Agni and Opal heatedly discussing something.

"…so since you have nothing to do at the Amber Crane for the next few days, I think you should go with them, Agni."

"Opal, for the last time, I'm not joining them. I don't even know those two girls." Agni looked tired, mainly because of his discussion with his sister, but the fact that it was rather late didn't help either.

"But you know Zephyr." Opal was trying to convince his half-brother to the best of her ability. "Really, you're gonna be bored out of your mind with nothing to do if you stay at our node. I swear, if it weren't because I'll be needed for the festival's preparations in a few days, I'd go with them too."

"Yeah, come with us!" Kizuna jumped into the conversation. "I promise I won't touch you with my bows!"

Agni sighed. Great, now the pink one was trying to convince him too. "Really, you're not the problem here, Kizzie. It's just…"

"You don't want to go with someone from the Lilac Kiwi," Opal said. She knew her Flareon brother like a book, she didn't need to wait for his confirmation to know she was right. "That's the reason, isn't it?"

"Scylla's the problem?" And now Zephyr was there too, much to the Flareon's chagrin. The Vaporeon was by his side too. "Is it because she teases you?"

"What? No!"

"Tease you…?" Opal threw her brother a disillusioned look. "Please, tell me that's not the reason you're not going."

"If that's the problem, I could… stop, I guess," Scylla assured.

"Scylla, that's not the issue. I mean, you can get a bit irritating at times, but…"

"Irritating…? But I just…" Did he really just call her that? "Look, if I have… offended you or something, I'm sorry. I don't act playful to spite you, I just… I mean, I'm not used to meeting people outside of my career so I might be a bit…"

As if her lines weren't cheesy enough for Agni, Scylla was starting directly into his eyes with those puppy eyes of her. This was starting to border on soap opera territory and it was making him extremely uncomfortable.

Agni heaved what was easily the longest sigh in his life. Very well, they win. "Fine, I'll go, I'll go, just stop insisting."

"Yes! I knew we'd manage to convince you!" Kizuna made her joyousness readily apparent. The others were glad too, but were less explicit about it. "Scylla, we're awesome! Sisfist!"

She happily obliged, holding back a giggle, and then turned to the Flareon one last time, her expression sobering up. "Look, I'll try to… notch the teasing down a tad."

"No, that's not… I-I mean, sure, thanks." Agni was too sleepy, he had no idea what he was saying anymore. And judging by Kizuna's yawn, he wasn't the only one. "Hey, how about we call it a day already?"

If they wanted to reach the Coral Sittella the next day they had to be well rested, so no one objected to Agni's suggestion. They left the inn and guided Scylla and Kizuna to a close by hostel, and then returned to Agni's home for the night, agreeing to meet at the doors of the hostel the next morning to continue their trip.

* * *

><p>If one looked up to the blue ceiling of the Azure Nightingale, once could see the moon in the sky behind whirling curtains of sand, signifying the fall of the night. A quartet of eeveelutions had stayed up late cruising around the city, but it was time for them to get some sleep.<p>

"Really, you don't need to go with us to the Haecceity," Ivy said to the males walking by her side. "We know the way already."

"My home is near the Haecceity," Lumis informed her.

Skoll nodded. "Yeah, and mine is… actually rather far from here, but I don't mind."

"For some reason I thought you two would live together. I-I kinda thought you were… uh…"

"Friends?" Skoll replied with a raised eyebrow. "Because that's what we are."

"Yeah. Friends. That's totally what I was gonna say."

Ivy wouldn't admit it, but she actually felt safer with those two flanking them. She didn't particularly fear for her own wellbeing, but she wanted her sister to get all protection she could get. The streets were dark, so she was thankful for the light brought by Skoll's rings, which would make it easier to detect any potential assaulters in the night.

Talking of which, they just happened to bump into one. Well, not necessarily an assaulter, but Ivy did bump into another pokémon at the proximities of the Haecceity.

"Ouch, sorry!" she quickly apologized to the other pokémon.

"Oh, no, it was my mistake. I wasn't looking where I was going."

It was hard to discern the pokémon's identity in the dark, but they could at least see it was a bipedal creature taller than them, and the voice made it clear they were in front of a female. Skoll was the only one who could see her clearly thanks to being a dark-type, as their eyes were adapted to very low light levels.

"It's a black fox with red hair," Skoll told the group. Upon hearing this, they all immediately arrived to the same conclusion. Could it be a Zoroark? That was the same description Zephyr had offered before. Skoll moved a bit closer to the pokémon so that his rings would let the rest of the group see her appearance more clearly. "This a Zoroark, Lum?"

"Without any doubt." Lumis had actually never seen one of their species in person, but the fox specimen before them greatly resembled the ones in the pictures on his books. "Could she be…?"

…the one that attacked the Beryl Calandra's Haecceity the previous night? They all asked themselves the same question. Certainly it was within the realm of reason, she could have traveled to the Azure Nightingale in one day just like them.

The best way to know? Why, Skoll thought it was asking her directly, of course. "Miss, is by chance your name Na… Nar…" Wait, what did they say the name of the criminal was again? He mentally cursed his own memory. Oh well, no memory is perfect, he thought. Can you think about it? A perfect memory? Ha! What a laughable idea, he thought!

"…Naamah?" The Espeon's memory was thankfully a bit more solid than his friend's.

"Ah? Yes, it is…" The Zoroark gave them a quizzical look. How did they know about her? "Have we… met before?" No, they haven't, and she knew it. Her eidetic memory wouldn't let her forget anything. But then how did they know about her?

"Were you the one that attacked dad yesterday?" Ivy asked her. She was baring her feet and trying to strike a threatening pose, but it didn't seem to be having any effect on the Zoroark.

Naamah looked at the Leafeon for a second. According to the Observatory, that was Ivy, the elder of Linze's daughters. "Oh, I see… Look, I'm sorry about that, it wasn't my intention to –"

"So it _was_ you!" Ivy had to make use of all of her force of will to avoid jumping at her neck. That Zoroark had tried to hurt her father. Or was she after the Sylveon? Ivy didn't care who the fox was after, she just couldn't let this be. As a member of the 'royalty' of the Heptagonal Ring, a fugitive wasn't something she could ignore. Her muscles tensed as she adopted a battle stance and…

Wait. Stop.

Ivy breathed in and then exhaled a deep sigh. Calm yourself, she thought, you can't let rage take the best of you. What if the Zoroark got mad and hurt her sister? Their police, the Garnet Oriole, could take care of the criminal, they just needed to immobilize her and then contact someone from the Oriole.

"You know you're a wanted criminal, right?" Skoll's voice brought her out of her trance. "Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Please tell me it's gonna be the easy way."

Much to their surprise, the Zoroark sat down on the floor. "I'm not going to fight you. I have no reason to."

They all stared at Naamah with suspicion for a moment, wondering what she was plotting, but she didn't do anything at all. She just sat there, looking back at them. Was she… giving herself up? But then why hadn't she the previous night? Skoll was particularly wary of her, as he knew better than anyone how the mind of a dark-type worked. The Zoroark was most likely trying to trick them into lowering their guards so that she could escape using her illusions, Skoll thought. Well, he wasn't gonna give her that satisfaction, he made a conscious effort to remain alert. At least, it should be easier for a dark-type like him to detect the tricks of another dark-type.

"So… you are with the Beacon?" Ivy asked the first thing that came to mind, she just wanted to gain some time until a guard from the Garnet Oriole passed by. Patrols usually did rounds around all the nodes, it was just a matter of time before someone appeared.

"Yes, Ivy."

"And the Beacon is like… an organization or something…?" Ivy really didn't know what to ask. She was just saying whatever crossed her mind.

Naamah brought one claw to her mouth and looked up, thinking. "I wouldn't say so, we're not really organized or anything, we're just a group of comrades. I guess it's a bit like the Heptagonal Ring: the Luminary would be the Conflux and the other seven members would be like the seven nodes, not necessarily above or under the Luminary, but it's the Luminary that holds the whole group together."

Luminary? That was a new concept none of them had heard before, the Galvantula didn't mention anything like that. Naamah was comparing this 'Luminary' person to the Conflux. Did she mean that it was a central figure to the Beacon, maybe even its leader?

Ivy was thinking of another question to make, but the Espeon was faster. "I heard your group wants to get rid of Adamantium. Is this true?" Lumis had heard that from the Galvantula, but he still found it unbelievable. Why would anyone want to destroy thousands of years of progress?

"Yes, my friend, that is our final objective," Naamah confirmed. She searched into her memory for the identity of her Espeon interlocutor… Ah, Lumis, yes. He wouldn't be contented with such a vague answer, he would most likely demand a more thorough explanation.

"Can you expand on that?"

"With great pleasure." It was easy to predict how others would act and react when you had all information about them from the Observatory. It made conversations with non-chroniclers trivial, and a little bit boring. "We simply want to eliminate Adamantium because we deem it a threat to our society as a whole. As a researcher, surely you know about the dangers of Adamantium, do you not, Lumis?"

The fact that she had just used his name didn't make Lumis comfortable. That reminded him that she was supposedly an ex-chronicler, and thus knew everything about them. "Well, if it is mishandled then of course it's going to be –"

"No, I'm not talking about laboratory accidents." Naamah had actually expected him to talk about the properties of Adamantium, but it seemed like she was mistaken. The Observatory made one brilliant, but not omniscient, and that was something she appreciated. "I'm talking about its intrinsic properties. Do you know what Adamantium is made of?" Her question was rhetorical. According to the Observatory, yes, he did know.

"It's a complex combination of water, iron and… some strange particle we can't identify. The so called 'Dragon Particle'." Lumis thought that was a very easy question. That was something he knew by heart, all researchers did.

"That's correct. Now, have you ever tried removing some of those elements?" Naamah asked. Again, she knew the answer already. "Let's begin with the more benign case. What happens if you remove all of the Dragon Particles in Adamantium?"

"Nothing?" They had tried that many times in his laboratory, but it never resulted in anything of interest. "It just becomes wet iron."

"Yes, it's quite curious, but not really a hazard. But, second case, what happens if what you remove is water?"

"If the water inside the Adamantium is evaporated, the resulting compound can be molded into different kinds of evolutionary items," Lumis explained. "That's one of the main functions of our laboratories, creating evolution items out of Adamantium."

"Now, don't you think that's a bit weird, partner? That Adamantium can act as a substitute to Water Stones or Fire Stones or any other evolution items? What's more, it can cause evolutions even in pokémon who shouldn't evolve with items, such as you and your friend Skoll here." Her physical shape suddenly began to distort as if it were mist, until it slowly started to adopt some kind of feline form. Once she fully materialized, they noticed she had turned into an almost carbon copy of Lumis, only slightly more feminine. Of note were the red markings around her eyes, identical to those of a Zoroark. "You know this already, but in order for an Eevee to evolve into one of your two forms it needs to hold a strong bond of friendship with a human, but there are no humans in the Heptagonal Ring, since their bodies couldn't possibly resist this harsh environment." In a flash, her body shifted from an Espeon's to an Umbreon's, this one resembling a gender-bent Skoll, but still retaining the marks around her eyes. "And yet, I somehow have an Espeon and an Umbreon in front of me." Curiously, her voice didn't change at all during the process. She turned back to her Zoroark appearance once she finished her monologue.

Skoll raised one of his eyebrows, a bit annoyed that the fox was imitating them. "Yes, Adamantium can evolve us too. What point are you trying to make, fox?"

"I was just pointing out how strange it is, if you don't see a problem with that, that's fine." There was a third and last case Naamah had not yet analyzed, so she turned to the Espeon once again. "Lastly, do you know what happens if you deplete all iron from Adamantium?" For once, her question was genuine. Last time she checked the Observatory seven months ago, the cat didn't know. But maybe he had learnt about it in the meantime…

"Deplete all iron…?" Lumis repeated, befuddled, "How could you even do that without removing the other particles?"

It seemed like he still didn't know. But she knew about someone else that did. "Could you please tell us, Safira?" Naamah shifted her image once again, this time to a Glaceon identical to Safira but with her characteristic red marks around her eyes. She pointed a paw at Safira.

"U-Uh?" Safira took a step back. It was like looking into a mirror.

"You know, don't you? You read about it one year, six months and fourteen days ago at that library in the Beryl Calandra that you like so much."

That someone knew so much about her scared the Glaceon a little. She tried to recall what she knew about the discussed topic, although it wasn't much. "A few years ago, some scientists managed to remove only the iron from Adamantium using a combination of psychic and aural powers to melt it without affecting its structure. Apparently, the resulting Adamantium… somehow interfered with the psychic abilities of the scientists, and started causing everyone to levitate or to teleport at random. They had to get rid of it for security."

After hearing intently to the Glaceon's story, Lumis recalled something. Her story was something he had heard before. "I've heard about that incident, but I didn't know it had to do with Adamantium." Lumis turned to the Zoroark. "You are – were a chronicler, do you know if that really happened? Or is it merely an urban legend?"

Naamah swapped her image once again, not back to a Zoroark, but to an Alakazam. "It happened, yes. The Observatory has it registered as an event that took place on March 18th, 7749, at 19:07. Four scientists were hurt during the 'accident', two of them gravely, and an Alakazam received severe wounds and unfortunately died." Some of the pokémon present didn't know what an Alakazam was, so Naamah's little theatrics served to give them a frame of reference. She turned back to her Zoroark self after her dialogue, though.

"But that's…" Lumis stared at her silently. Did that really happen? "Skoll, is she lying?"

"I'm not a living lie detector, Lum. That's a dark-type, whether I can detect her lies or not depends on how well versed she is in the noble art of trickery. And since she can use illusions… I doubt I can do much about it."

"Adamantium it's a greater hazard than you imagine," Naamah said. "As a former chronicler, I know what I'm talking about. Do you still oppose our ideals?"

"Of course we do," Ivy replied. "Even if Adamantium really was as dangerous as you say, it's still essential for our people! We just have to make sure we handle it with care."

The Leafeon was the only pokémon present she still had not turned into, so Naamah copied her image to correct that. "That's too idealistic, Ivy. A little bit of idealism is okay, but if you let it go too far you just –"

"Excuse me, but we take our safety measures very seriously," Lumis protested, frowning. "Eliminating Adamantium would do the people more harm than good. No matter how you look at it, your ideas are just absurd."

Naamah returned to her common vulpine form and sighed. "Not gonna coincide my point, uh? Well, it's been a really interesting conversation we'd had and I hope we can repeat this some other time, but it's getting pretty late so I guess we should go catch some z's, don't you think, friends?"

Skoll sniggered derisively, his rings shining brighter. "You don't really think we're gonna let you go, right? Because you'd have to be a little bit crazy to think something like that."

"Oh, no, I suppose you wouldn't." The Zoroark's muzzle showed a sly grin. "And that's why I took the liberty to leave already. I hope you don't mind much. Good night."

That was a trick, Skoll thought, it had to be. He hadn't even heard her leaving. Just in case, he ran in a rush towards her position, but once he got close, the supposed Zoroark just melted into the air as if it had never been there. "What the–?" He looked around in a frenzy, desperately trying to find the Zoroark, but she was nowhere to be seen. It's as if she had completely vanished from the world. "How did she…? When?"

The other three eeveelutions followed after him, Lumis on the lead. "Did she leave? That was really weird…"

"You have no idea." Skoll stared at the distance, at nothing in particular, thinking. There was something about Naamah that really irked him as a fellow dark-type. "Something strange was going on back there. For instance, when she turned into a, uh, into a female Lumis, I felt… something really weird when I looked at her."

"Something really weird," Ivy repeated in a monotone voice. "Friends, you say. I believe you."

"Uh? Ivy, what I mean is that… she didn't feel like a dark-type anymore, it was weird. The same thing happened when she turned into you and your sister, but not when she turned into me. When she turned into an Umbreon I could perceive her as a dark-type without problem."

"Now you mention it, when she turned into an Espeon I could perceive psychic activity," Lumis said. "It's as if she had turned into a psychic-type."

"I also felt like she was an ice-type when she copied me," Safira added in reflex. "I mean… I-I'm very sensitive to temperature variations… and she felt very cold…" She felt a bit nervous when she noticed the gazes of the males upon her – Oh, wait, the Umbreon was eyeing her sister and the Espeon was just staring at the ground. Thank goodness. "But aren't Zoroark supposed to only use visual illusions?"

"Yes, that's what –" Lumis' speech was stopped by a sudden yawn. "– I've read. Sorry, but it's getting late and… uh…"

"Yeah, we should hit the sack already," Skoll said. "Even we dark-types need a few minutes of sleep per night."

"Well, okay," Ivy agreed. She was getting tired too, and after firing a quick glance at her sister, the Glaceon didn't seem to be faring any better. "Where do we meet tomorrow morning? Here at the Haecceity?"

"Sounds like a plan," Skoll said with a nod, fighting to keep a yawn from leaving his mouth. "Well, we'll be seeing you tomorrow, then. Sleep tight."

"May Cresselia visit you in your dreams," Lumis said with a small polite bow.

"Yeah, you guys too…" Ivy said as she opened the door to the Haecceity with a paw. Safira just gave them a quick nod and followed after her sister.

Lumis' home was two minutes away from the Haecceity, so he split ways with Skoll, whose house was located somewhat farther. Not that it mattered to the Umbreon, as navigating dark streets was one of the dark-types' specialties. After they all finally lay down on their beds, it didn't take them long to fall asleep. It had been a really tiring, although fun day. They could only hope the next day would be alike.


	5. Dynamic

"…so our next stop is the Coral Sittella, uh?"

The crystal path that joined the yellow Amber Crane and the orange Coral Sittella was as dull and uninteresting as all others, just a very long tunnel made of crystallized Adamantium that connected two adjacent nodes. The walls were transparent, but that mattered little since all they could see at the other side was the desert.

Agni was trying to hold a conversation, any conversation, just to dissipate the insufferable tedium of the trip.

"The Coral Sittella is the node with all those peace loving wimps, right?"

"Hey, that's not fair," Scylla complained. "They're not wimps, they just hate violence. It's thanks to them that everyone receives a fair treatment in all the nodes."

"There's already the Garnet Oriole for that," Agni said. "Their laws are fair and just. I always thought the Sittella was a bit of a… superfluous node."

"You have no guarantee that those laws will be fair at all!" Scylla complained, raising her tone of voice. "The Sittella is essential for the Heptagonal Ring. All nodes are."

"Some more than others. Why are you so intent on defending the Coral Sittella, anyway? It's not like you were been born there."

"Actually, I was," she casually answered.

"You're native to the Sittella?" Zephyr asked her, a bit curious. "How did you end at the Kiwi, then?"

"It's not that strange, many pokémon move to other nodes when theirs doesn't convince them."

"Yeah, that I know. I'm not native to my Cerulean Warbler either, I was born in the Amber Crane just like Agni," Zephyr explained. "But I like battling, so I'm affiliated to the Warbler. Why did you change to the Kiwi?"

"Yeah, good question," Agni said. "Why would you purposefully join the Lilac Kiwi?"

"They're fun and they live to brighten other pokémon's lives," she simply stated. "What do you have against the Kiwi, anyway? Did they do something to you?"

"No, not really. I just… don't like them much."

Scylla closed her eyes and turned her face away, pretending to pout. "Well, I'm really sorry I'm such a horrible being."

The Vaporeon's acting was quite good, so much that it made Agni question whether she was acting at all or not. "I didn't say anything about you. It's your node I don't like."

Kizuna moved between the Vaporeon and the Flareon and sent bows to each of their necks, gently pushing them closer. "Aw, so you _do_ like her after all! I knew it!"

"No, and don't start." Agni shoved her bows off him with a paw. "I can still go back to the Amber Crane, please don't pester me."

"Fine…" He had joined them only begrudgingly, Kizuna didn't want to risk it. The Vaporeon, on the other hand, hadn't rejected her bows yet, so the Sylveon got a bit closer to her and decided to add a few more bows around her neck. "Then I'll spend some time with my BFF Scylla here!"

"Your what…?" It's not that she minded the Sylveon pushing her cheek affectionately against hers, but did she have to be so rough about it? "Wow, easy there, Kizzie. I like you too, but let's not go overboard."

"Heh, I bet you would be good friends." Zephyr stared at them with a grin in his face. Dear Zapdos, they looked so damn cute together like that, he thought. Not that he would admit it out loud. "I mean, didn't Scylla say that her second evolution choice would have been a Sylveon?"

Agni chuckled softly. "I think we have more than enough with one of those running around. That said, why a Vaporeon?"

Zephyr was curious about that, too. "Yeah, a Sylveon seems like the ideal eeveelution for the Lilac Kiwi. They're kind of natural performers, what with all those pink frilly bows and overall fairy cuteness."

"Aw, thanks!" Kizuna happily accepted the praise, leaving Scylla's side only to hug Zephyr.

Zephyr hadn't necessarily meant that as a compliment, he just thought an Eevee from the Lilac Kiwi would have wanted to evolve into a Sylveon. "You're welcome…?" Kizuna's hug might suppose a problem though, due to her Cute Charm ability. He thought of pushing her away, but that would've been rude, and he had to admit it didn't feel that bad either.

Fortunately for him, Agni came to his rescue. "Kizzie, we've told you not to touch the males. Go wild with Scylla if you want."

Kizuna reluctantly compelled. "Ah, sure." That's a shame, she liked the feel of his spiky fur. Oh well, there would be other chances.

Now that Kizuna had calmed down, Scylla returned to the question she had been asked: 'Why a Vaporeon?'

"I liked water," was her response. "I always have, since I was an Eevee pup. I don't really have a more complex explanation."

"No, that's cool," Zephyr said. "What about you, Kizzie? Did you have a second evo choice after Sylveon?"

"Mmh, I really hadn't thought about it." Kizuna brought a feeler to her mouth and looked upwards, deep in thought. "I guess I always wanted to be a Sylveon."

"How do chroniclers even evolve?" Agni wondered. "I thought you were completely secluded from the nodes. How are you going to buy the evolutionary items?"

"Old chroniclers like my master do visit a few select pokémon every now and then. When I told him I wanted to be a Sylveon, he contacted Linze to get me an evolution stone."

Agni thought about it for a moment. Normally, an Eevee would have to be in the company of a human trainer to evolve into a Sylveon, but Adamantium allowed them to create stones that forced the evolution without human intervention. He never really understood how that worked. "Why a Sylveon, by the way?"

Kizuna shrugged. She wasn't entirely sure herself. "I thought it looked the cutest. If I had had to evolve into something else, I guess I would have chosen a... an Espeon, I think. They're also cute, and psychic-types make wonderful chroniclers."

"Ah? How so?"

"Well, we chroniclers can remember a lot of data, but that doesn't mean we have the intelligence to use that information effectively. But psychics are very brainiac, so if you gave them the knowledge of a chronicler… Well, now that would be something!"

"Well, if we're talking about second choices…" Now it was Zephyr's turn to share. "Actually, I didn't care whether I evolved into a Jolteon or an Umbreon, I just wanted to evolve into something… manly."

Agni frowned. "Oh, and the other eeveelutions aren't manly or something?"

"Uh? Yeah… But, y'know, I just like those two better. I only picked Jolteon over Umbreon in the end because Thunder Stones are cheaper. I don't regret it, though."

"That's actually pretty funny," Kizuna said, giggling girlishly.

"What is?"

"Remember Skoll, that Umbreon you met at the Beryl Calandra? Well, you're a Jolteon with Umbreon as his second choice, and he is an Umbreon with Jolteon as his second choice!"

"Haha, really? Wow." Zephyr couldn't help but grin at the coincidence. "So why did he settle for an Umbreon at the end? You know it, right, Kizzie? Since you're a chronicler and all."

She briefly wondered if it would be alright to keep sharing information about the eeveelutions not present. But why not? That wasn't anything they wanted to keep in secret, they would probably have answered themselves if they were there. "Well, he knew that his friend wanted to evolve into an Espeon, so he thought an Umbreon would complement that well. Sun and moon, day and night, light and dark, all that."

"Ah, the Espeon? His name was… Lumis or something like that, right?" Scylla asked her.

"Yup. He evolved into that because, well, because he's from the Azure Nightingale and wanted to work there. Psychic-types are best researchers."

"Oh, and what was his second choice?" Scylla wondered. "I'm still waiting to hear of someone who also wanted to be a Vaporeon."

"Nope, not him, sorry, his second option would've been a Glaceon," Kizuna said, shaking her head. "But do you remember Ivy, the Leafeon? Her second choice _was_ a Vaporeon."

Zephyr sniggered. "Now _that_ is a dedicated fan. She even wanted to look like her idol!"

"To be fair, Scylla hadn't evolved yet when Ivy did. Ivy's a bit older than her, you know," Kizuna explained to Zephyr, before turning her head back to Scylla. "She's a good fan of yours because she also wanted to be a Vaporeon, not the other way around. She only ended up turning into a Leafeon because of her admiration towards her mum."

"So her mother is a Leafeon?" Agni asked. "Now you mention it, we didn't see her back at the Beryl Calandra, did we?"

"You… are not going to see her…" Kizuna couldn't help but lower her head while pronouncing these words. "She's…"

"Don't say it. We get it," Agni interrupted her. Seeing the usually cheery Sylveon sad wasn't a nice sight. "I guess… we shouldn't mention this around those two sisters."

"Yes, they really admired her…" Kizuna shook her head with her bows. You can't be sad, c'mon, you have company. Cheer up, she told herself. "Safira also wanted to evolve into a Leafeon, but that would have reminded her too much of her mother, so she ended up settling for a Glaceon."

"That's a lot of variety for second evolution choices…" Scylla briefly went over all the mentioned second choices in her head. There was not a single one that was repeated! "Heh, Agni, it seems like nobody wanted to be a Flareon as a second choice. That's a shame, Flareon are kinda cute."

Agni shook his head. "That's not true. I did."

"Uh?"

"Flareon was my second choice."

"What… do you…?" Scylla stared at the Flareon in complete silence for a few seconds. "O-Oh, so you never even considered other choices, uh? You always wanted to be a Flareon from the very beginning."

"No. I said Flareon was my second choice."

"You mean…" Scylla shot a fleeting glimpse at Zephyr and Kizuna. Both of them were looking away, and their faces didn't convey a joyous expression. "You wanted to evolve into something else? W-What–?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

She kept staring at him for a little while. Agni's facial expression was… unintelligible. He looked irate like never before, but at the same time his eyes seemed filled with melancholy.

The rest of their trip to the Coral Sittella was silent and more than a bit awkward, but fortunately they were already pretty close to the entrance to the orange node.

* * *

><p>"…you didn't tell Soren about that Zoroark, Naamah?"<p>

Lumis was making a question to Ivy, while they advanced through the interior of a long tunnel. They had been walking for a few hours now, they should reach their next destinations in a matter of minutes.

"No, we didn't. Wasn't that thing a about the chroniclers supposed to remain secret?"

"Well, yes, that's what the Galvantula said, but still…" Lumis couldn't help but feel a bit worried about the shape-shifting vixen they had crossed ways with the previous night. He trusted the Garnet Oriole could take care of her once the news reached them. They were the police of the Ring after all, it was their duty.

"Well, we've reached it. This is the Blue Warbler," Skoll happily proclaimed.

"Cerulean Warbler," Lumis corrected.

"You got it."

Ivy approached the male duo while eying her surroundings, her sister trailing closely after her. "So you've been to this node before, uh?"

"Well, duh, it borders with ours. Although I'll admit we haven't come here that often." Skoll took a good look at the indigo-colored ceiling above them. It's been a while since he had last seen that view.

"Can't blame you. It's not like you have much of a reason to come here." Ivy took notice of the many pokémon walking around in the city, creatures of many varied and diverse species. She noted a good percentage of them seemed to be fighting-types. "Those guys are all violence-obsessed freaks. And I'm being kind."

"Woah, don't be so harsh, Ivy," Skoll protested. Neither his facial expression nor his tone of voice seemed to indicate he was angry, only slightly irked. "We have friends here, you know."

Ivy put a paw over her muzzle as if to silence her previous words. "U-Uh? Oh, sorry." Those two seemed nice, she didn't want to accidentally upset them and spoil their slowly growing friendship. Plus, because of their obligations as a leader's daughters, she and her sister had not had much of a chance to make many friends, so she wouldn't let this opportunity escape if possible. "I mean, I'm sure there must be at least some pokémon in the Cerulean Warbler that are level-headed, it's just that most of them are… uh… But I'm sure your friend is one of the level-headed ones."

"Why do you have such a negative opinion on the Warbler?" Skoll wondered out of curiosity. He hadn't seen Ivy so opinionated before, although then again he had only known her for two days.

"Um? Wait, it's not that I have anything against the Warbler in particular, but everybody knows how much they love battling."

"It isn't nice to generalize," Lumis said.

"I'm not generalizing! I mean, I'm a merchant, I follow trends and studies and whatnot, and these guys always buy battle equipment and medicines and such. You can learn a lot from all nodes based on the kinds of things they buy."

Interesting. Skoll and Lumis had completely forgotten it, but she was indeed the daughter of the head of merchants in the Heptagonal Ring, and would one day inherit his position.

"Hey, what do the other nodes buy?" Skoll was curious now, and by the look on the Espeon's face, he was too. It would help them pass time until they reached the center of the city and the Haecceity.

Ivy of course didn't mind, that was her forte after all. In fact, she couldn't help but beam blissfully at the question. It was a chance to leave them open-mouthed with her knowledge! It's not that she was especially interested in impressing any of the boys, but being able to talk about this with someone other than her sister or her father sounded nice.

"Let's go counterclockwise, okay? We start with the Garnet Oriole at the northwest. They don't really buy much more than the basic indispensable items all nodes buy, like food. I guess they can be a bit… arrogant."

Skoll nodded. "Yeah, they have that kind of fame, don't they? They always think that they're on the right, that they don't need help from anyone else."

"Again, you're making overgeneralized assumptions," Lumis said. "There are other reasons they might be not buying much, other than arrogance. Maybe they simply like being self-sufficient?"

"I guess…" Ivy looked at them pensive for a moment. She knew well about the buying habits of the nodes, but had never really stopped to analyze them in deep. She hoped she wasn't making a fool of herself. "Next, the Coral Sittella. They seem to like gardening, they tend to buy berries and medicinal herbs in bulk. They don't really do much of anything… They're said to be a bit lazy." She noticed the critical gaze of the feline upon her. "But, uh, I guess being mediators when conflicts between nodes arise must be very tiring. Well, next we have the Amber Crane, mostly hard-workers. You can easily guess what they like to buy, mostly materials and tools for their jobs."

"Bunch of boring dudes, if you ask me," Skoll said.

"Heh… Next would be us, the Beryl Calandra. Well, we're merchants, so we obviously commerce with anything and everything. Some people say we're greedy for that, but I think that's… I mean, we don't… Well, perhaps a little…? Um, I guess our node kinda revolves around money, but it's not like we're obsessed with it. Next is yours, the Azure Nightingale. I'm not telling you anything you don't know, but you mostly buy laboratory equipment and books. Tons of books. All nodes get books, but yours takes the cake."

"And the cake book too, probably," Skoll said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, they say the guys at your node are a bit… um… you know…"

"Weird?"

"Yeah. U-Uh, not you two, of course."

Lumis giggled softly. "I assure you Soren is solely responsible for giving us such a bad name."

Ivy nodded. Knowing how 'peculiar' that Serperior was, it wouldn't surprise her one bit. "Next is the Cerulean Warbler, but we've already talked about it, so then we move on to the last one, the Lilac Kiwi. Fun lovers, they buy a lot of everything, they're the richest node after ours. Of course, their favorite products are the, uh, 'fun' ones. Like, you know, things used for theatrics like props or dresses."

"Or the machine I have to go fix," Lumis added.

"Uhuh. They're said to be a bit… er, frivolous."

"Heh, frivolous. I guess they're lighthearted alright." Skoll sniggered. "But hey, you sure know a ton of things, don't you, Ivy?"

Her cheeks flushed faintly, not enough for any of them to notice. "No, it's just that, well, I'll be the future leader of the Calandra. Of course I have to know these basic things."

"Humble too, uh? I bet you'll make a good leader."

It was not the first time she had been told that, but the fact that it came from someone outside of her family and close acquaintances seemed to give it more strength. "I-I hope. I've been training a lot for that." Ivy was starting to feel a bit awkward with all of their gazes on her. Well, not all. She didn't mind her sister's, of course, and even the Espeon's she could live with. But those Umbreon's crimson eyes fixed on her body, as if staring into her very soul… Dear Virizion, why was he staring at her so intently? And why was that making her so nervous? Much to her relief, they soon found themselves before a sight that took all eyes off her. "Look! It's the Haecceity!"

With no reason to waste more time outside, they promptly accessed the interior of the temple-like structure. They had decided earlier that morning that the first thing they should do upon reaching the Cerulean Warbler should be contacting its leader and selling the requested medicines. Then they could spend the rest of the day… 'lazing around', in Skoll's own words.

After a few seconds of walking inside the building, the leader appeared before their eyes. The colossus-sized creature was certainly hard to miss.

"Zvonimir! We're here!" Ivy proclaimed, her chipper voice catching his attention.

The gargantuan Noivern had to lower his head to see his interlocutor. A Leafeon? She seemed familiar, where had he-? Ah, of course. "You were… Ivy? Linze's older daughter. Oh, and that there must be Safira," he added, noticing the Glaceon by the Leafeon's side.

"We came here at the request of our father," Ivy explained, although to be more precise they were the ones who offered coming.

"You brought the medicines?"

"Ah, yes." Ivy was a bit surprised by his straightforwardness, it seemed like the Noivern didn't enjoy wasting his time. All the better for them, she thought. "I hope the absence of dad – ahem, of the leader of the Beryl Calandra doesn't cause you any inconvenience."

"No, that doesn't matter. You're legally representatives of your node." Zvonimir peculiar facial expression seemed to convey impatience, perhaps even anxiety. "I just need those medicines, I care not who brings them."

"Well, that's good." Straight to the point. Ivy wished all leaders were like that. "The price of all these medicines… um, dad told us it was at 6,000 Adm. I know it's a bit expensive, but this sack is completely filled with medicines of very varied kinds..."

She deposited on the ground before the Noivern the bag she had been wearing around her neck. 6,000 Adm… That was really a lot for just some potions, remedies and the occasional medicinal herb. Ivy expected him to complain and push her to lower the price, but that was okay. Negotiating prices formed part of her extensive training, for it was an indispensable tool for any aspiring merchant like her.

Much to her surprise, the Noivern just nodded and picked up the bag. "Very well, it seems like a fair deal."

What? No, that wasn't fair at all. If Zvonimir had pressured her even just a bit, he could have easily bargained the price down by 1,000 Adm or more. Node leaders were usually wealthier than most other inhabitants of the Heptagonal Ring, but even then…

Still, it was his decision to buy it for that price, wasn't it? It hadn't gone how Ivy had anticipated, but the deal had been completed successfully nonetheless.

"We'll send the money to your node as soon as the festival is over," the draconic bat assured. Of course, with the Conflux closed, they'd have to send someone through the Azure Nightingale to reach the Beryl Calandra, like an inverted version of their trip. That would take them at least two days, but that's when the festival started. It was not worth it, it would be better to just wait until it was over and the Conflux was once again accessible, allowing for easy travel between any two nodes.

"Okay, we understand. It's been a pleasure making business with you." Ivy bowed politely at the dragon, with Safira imitating the gesture soon after.

Likewise, Zvonimir also nodded to them. "The pleasure is mine. Now if you excuse me, I have things to do."

The Noivern looked restless for some reason, and it seemed like he hadn't even noticed Skoll and Lumis in the room, or he if he had, he had at least not bothered mentioning it. They didn't really have anything else to do there, though. There wasn't much of a reason to stay, so perhaps they should just leave.

They were about to do just that when Ivy thought of something: where were they going to pass the night? This Haecceity looked quite accommodating… "Uh… Could we maybe spend the night here? If you don't mind?"

"Oh…? Fine, feel free to come by later at night. We have a guestroom."

"Yeah, that's goo-" Wait a… 'A' guestroom? As in 'one'? "A-Actually, now I think about it, we should probably sleep at a hostel. They give this nice 'adventure' vibe, you know?"

"Well, whatever you say…" Zvonimir was glaring at the Leafeon with impatience. She met his gaze, and couldn't help but feel intimidated. "It's… anything else you need from me?"

"A-Ah, no. We'll be leaving now, goodbye." Ivy quickly turned around and started walking to the exit, feeling a bit tense.

Safira and Lumis both gave the dragon a nod, and Skoll just raised a paw and smirked before leaving the place. Once they were all outside, they all heaved a collective sigh.

"A bit tense, wasn't it?" Skoll asked to the group, receiving multiple nods in response. "Man, I had heard that Zvowhatever guy was the strongest leader in the Heptagonal Ring, but I didn't know he was so damn imposing."

"They even say he's the strongest pokémon in the whole Heptagonal Ring," Ivy said. "It's hard not to believe that."

"Now what are you two gonna do?" Skoll asked. "You came here to sell those medicines. Now what?"

Ivy played with the leafy tuft on her chest while pondering what should they do now that they had successfully delivered the goods. Maybe they should go back to the Beryl Calandra? No, the festival would begin in two days, they didn't have enough time to go back to their home node. "I guess we're gonna have to stay here. We'll go to the Conflux the day after tomorrow." She wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it, but what else could they do?

"Or you could come with us, I guess," Skoll proposed, getting the attention of everyone around him. "I mean, we'll reach the Purple Kiwi tomorrow, so we can go to the Conflux the next day. That's when the four-seven begins, right?"

Ivy listened intently. "Go with you…?"

"You two don't have anything else to do at this node, right? I mean, I know you don't really have a reason to come with us to the Purple Kiwi, but it's better than sitting around doing nothing, don't you think?"

"You got a point there." While Ivy had nothing against the Cerulean Warbler, having to wait two days in it sounded rather boring, and the Lilac Kiwi was one of her favorite nodes anyway. She turned her head to her sister with an expectant gaze. "What do you think, Saf? Should we go?"

Safira shoot a quick nervous glance at the two males nearby. The Glaceon didn't really care where she was, it was the company that worried her a little. She had joined mainly because spending four days alone with her sister sounded quite good, but had she known they wouldn't be by themselves, she might have reconsidered it.

Although… why exactly? Safira was still with her sister, that hadn't changed. And those two seemed… okay? They weren't really bothering her, they were actually kind of fun to be with. It was just today and tomorrow, and the next day they'll part to the Conflux. She could survive that. "Mmh, okay."

"It's all good then!" Ivy gave her sibling a short but strong hug. The Glaceon's skin was a tad cold, being an ice-type and all, but it was bearable.

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" Lumis wondered. "You're gonna go to the Conflux in two days no matter what, and you can reach it from any node. Why make an unnecessary trip to the Lilac Kiwi?"

Ivy just looked at him silently for a second before shrugging. "Why not? We've got nothing else to do. At the very least the trip will be good for our legs, we'll get some physical exercise."

"Whatever you wish," Lumis said with a shrug. It didn't particularly affect him one way or another. "Now, what do we do for the rest of the day?"

"First thing we should do is visit Vetr, don't you think?" Skoll proposed to the feline, who nodded silently. "She'd kill us if she knew we have been here and haven't even gone say hi to her."

Ivy perked an ear at the mention of the unknown name, curious. "That's… the friend you mentioned before?"

"Yep. We should go see her first thing, we can check on a hostel later. Oh, now I mention that, why did you refuse staying at the Haecceity earlier, Ivy?"

"Well, he said there was only one room so… you know…" Ivy's eyes darted away, unable to keep eye contact with Skoll.

The Umbreon took a step towards her with a grin, his rings shining dimly. "So…?"

Ivy instinctively stepped back, her cheeks flustering slightly. "W-Weren't we gonna see your friend?"

"Skoll, control." Lumis playfully poked his friend at the back of his neck, attracting his attention and making the shining of his rings fade down. "If you keep acting like that I assure you they won't want to come anymore. Let's do as she says and go see Vetr."

"Ah, okay." Skoll started walking cheerily in a direction, as if nothing had happened.

Ivy was more than a bit surprised by his quick change of attitude, but nonetheless glad he was back to his usual silly self. "So, where's her house?"

"In the opposite direction," Skoll casually mentioned, drawing a confused 'uh?' from the Leafeon. "We're not going to her house, she only goes there to sleep. Vetr spends the whole day at the training grounds."

So this Vetr liked fighting… Well, that was a given since she was part of the Cerulean Warbler. But then a question popped in Ivy's mind: how did they get to know her? "So how did you meet?"

"Can't remember, we were too young. Vetr was originally from the Azure Nightingale like us, you see, but she moved here some years ago."

"I see…"

The training grounds were an expansive area that occupied almost a fifth of the extension of the node, where pokémon from this or other nodes came to test their skills against one another. It didn't took them long to reach it.

* * *

><p>"So this is the Coral Sittella, uh?" Agni took a look around, seeing the verdant streets of the orange-colored node for the first time, covered by notorious amounts of lush vegetation. "I have to admit it's… pretty."<p>

"Yes, it's difficult to believe we're in the middle of a desert," Zephyr commented, also mesmerized by the sight. "I haven't come here that often, maybe once or twice in my life. Is this your first time here, Agni?"

"Yes, you know I only leave our Amber Crane to do business at the Beryl Calandra. But I must say, this node is almost greener than the Calandra."

"It's _sooooo_ beautiful!" Kizuna was gaping wide-eyed at the lustrous assortments of plants and flowers. Even if the Adamantium walls of the nodes protected the vegetation from the sand, it was still impressive seeing this much flora in what was essentially a crystal dome in a desert. "I really wanted to see this!"

Agni moved closer to some of the flowers, fascinated by their breath-taking vivid colors. "It must take quite some effort to keep all these flowers healthy. How do these guys do it?"

"Water-types make sure to water them all days and plant-types use their abilities to help them grow healthy and strong," Scylla explained. "Back when I lived in this node, I actually helped with the watering part myself. It takes a lot of effort to –" The Vaporeon stopped talking once her eyes took notice of the Floatzel attending to some flowers not far from her position. She broke into a run towards the weasel, screaming "Euria!" at the top of her lungs.

The Floatzel heard the high-pitched yell and turned her attention to its source. The frown she wore for having been interrupted in the middle of her work quickly turned into a smile when she saw the Vaporeon running like a madman towards her. "Scylla!"

Scylla got on two feet to properly hug the comparatively taller Floatzel. "I haven't seen you in, like, forever, Euria!"

Euria returned the hug and gave her a soft chuckle. "Five days, Scylla. You passed through here with your troupe five days ago. Where are they, by the way?"

The Vaporeon broke the hug to point a paw to the rest of eeveelutions, who were approaching them steadily. "I decided to take a short break before the festival. These are… my new friends. We are doing a little sightseeing around the nodes."

Agni was the first to arrive. "Well, are you gonna introduce us?"

"Ah, sure. This is my auntie, Euria," she said, pointing her siren-tail to the Floatzel. Then she proceeded to introduce the other eeveelutions, pointing at each one consecutively with a paw. "Those are Agni, Zephyr and Kizuna."

Agni bowed his head down. "Our pleasure."

"No, no, the pleasure is mine alone." Euria brought a paw behind her neck and waved the other one bashfully. "It's always nice meeting some of my niece's friends."

"I must say you've done a wonderful gardening job with these flowers, miss Euria," Zephyr praised her.

Euria chuckled. "Please, drop the 'miss'. I'm not that old yet."

Curiously, the only one that didn't talk to the Floatzel was Kizuna, although she did have her reasons. Concretely, she was trying to understand how come some information about the Floatzel was missing.

It wasn't like with Naamah or the Archeops from the previous day, Euria did appear in the Observatory, and Kizuna did know a lot about her thanks to that. The problem was that, for some reason, there were some… lapses, so to say, in the memories. Was Kizuna's memory failing her? No, that was impossible! Her memory was perfect, she was a chronicler! Then, could there be… gaps in the registries of the Observatory? But how?

Well, that was irrelevant now. The Floatzel was Scylla's aunt, Kizuna knew that to be factually true. The least she could do is be polite, right?

Kizuna ran towards the weasel but stopped herself short before her. She remembered what Tesla had told her, that hugs were seen as too intrusive by most pokémon, for some unfathomable reason. Kizuna would have to settle for a paw-shake, so she offered her paw. "Glad to meet you, Euria! You can call me Kizzie if you want."

"Kizzie, uh? I'll try to remember it." Euria shook Kizuna's paw, beaming widely. She surely had some strength for someone of her size. "Scylla, you'll go see Alyssa too, right? Maybe you could even ask her to let you stay the night in her home."

"That doesn't sound half bad," Scylla admitted. "Guys, wanna come meet another friend of mine?"

Kizuna had the most euphoric response. "More friends? Where do I sign on?"

"Who's that friend of yours?" Zephyr asked the Vaporeon, raising an eyebrow. "Have I heard that name somewhere before…?"

"C'mon, Zephyr, let's go!" Impatient, Kizuna coiled her bows around the Jolteon's frontal legs and started pulling, like a puppeteer trying to make a puppet move. Seeing it didn't work, the Sylveon tried to push him with her own paws. "C'mon!"

"I… Kizzie, you shouldn't be touching me, you know…"

"Get away from him!" Agni shouted, startling her and making her take a step away from the Jolteon. "Cute Charm, remember? You can't go around touching males as if it were nothing!"

"Oh… Sorry…" She directed her apologies to the Jolteon, who just dismissed them with a light chuckle and a shake of head, in a 'never mind' kind of fashion.

"Then, if no one has any objections, should we go see Alyssa?" Scylla proposal was quickly accepted by everyone with a group nod. "Great! I'll lead the way, follow me." She didn't leave without saying goodbye to her aunt first, though. "See you later, Euria!"

"Take care!" The Floatzel waved them off as they all darted after the Vaporeon.

They patiently chased after the Vaporeon, wondering where she was leading them. They passed the residential district and entered the main body of gardens, but didn't stop yet. They kept on walking and walking… Was Scylla leading to the Haecceity?

It was then that Zephyr recalled something. "Isn't Alyssa the name of this node's leader?"

"Yup!" It was Kizuna who responded. "A really pretty Lilligant, I always wanted to meet her."

"You're friends with the leader of this node?" Agni asked Scylla, perplexed.

"Yes, I am," Scylla confirmed. "I lived here through most of my infancy. My father, Euria's brother, was one of the most prominent defenders in the node, so he knew Alyssa personally."

"I see."

They stopped before the entrance to the Haecceity. Compared to the Haecceities in other nodes, this one was rather modest. It was only slightly bigger than a common house, and didn't look too ostentatious either, although it was covered with luxurious flowers. Scylla was the first one to step inside, and the other three didn't doubt to follow her.

Once they were inside, they found a Mienshao about to leave the place. They turned aside to make way for her.

"You're very nice, that you are." The Mienshao turned to them before leaving, eyeing them warily. "What a diverse group. Have you maybe seen a blue rectangular rock around?"

"Uh? No, I don't think we have." Scylla answered.

The Mienshao nodded her head slowly. "That's a shame, that it is. I shall now bid you adieu."

They kept their eyes on the eccentric Mienshao until she left. Kizuna didn't have any problem discerning her identity, thanks to her position as a chronicler. Freya, female Mienshao, defender from the Azure Nightingale. Nothing worth mentioning, she was just another ordinary pokémon. Kizuna was slightly curious about why she was so far from her node, but it wasn't that unusual for defenders to travel, and it ultimately didn't matter. They had come to see Alyssa, not the Mienshao. Still, she felt a goodbye would only be polite.

"Take care, Freya!"

The Mienshao, who had already crossed the door outside, stopped short and went inside once again, glaring at the Sylveon with a mix of disconcert and caution. Her eeveelution companions also gave her a distressed gaze. Maybe she shouldn't have said her name out loud.

"Do I know you? No, I don't, I don't even know your species. How do you know my name?"

Kizuna covered her mouth with one of her feelers, as if that would solve anything. She made a mental note to be more careful from now on. "U-Uh… A-Alyssa told us about you."

It was the best lie she could come with. The Mienshao had just left the Haecceity, so she must have been talking to the Lilligant leader of the node. Maybe she would buy it.

"That takes some merit, because Alyssa and I just met." Her remark made the Sylveon gulp. Freya and Alyssa didn't know each other, that was something she already knew as a chronicler. How could she have committed such a silly mistake? Stupid nerves. "And Lilligant don't have telepathy, that they don't."

"B-But we Sylveon do." It was a lie, of course, but she had to try at least. Freya had said she had never seen a Sylveon before, so she shouldn't know about their abilities. "I'm the psychic-type evolution of Eevee."

"I know how an Espeon looks and you don't look like that, that you don't."

Well, damn. Kizuna was a chronicler, she knew perfectly that this Mienshao knew what an Espeon was and what it evolved from. Why did she even have to mention Eevee at all? If she had just said she was a random psychic-type, Freya would most likely have bought it. Kizuna really needed to stop making these rookie mistakes or she would risk being discovered.

"I'll ask again, that I'll do. How do you know my name? You aren't one of them pesky chroniclers, are you?"

Kizuna gulped again. According to the Observatory, Freya believed that chroniclers were just a myth. But since the Observatory had been malfunctioning for seven months now… maybe that had changed in that small window of time? And if so, why?

Seeing Kizuna was getting in trouble, Zephyr decided to step in. "Heh, you don't really believe in chroniclers, right? Those are just fairytales for kids."

Freya crossed her arms. "Not according to the Beacon, that they aren't."

The Beacon? Wasn't that the name of the group that Zoroark belonged to? Then, was she a…?

Agni slowly approached Kizuna, trying not to startle the Mienshao. "Hey, is she a…?"

Kizuna didn't even bother looking at him, she couldn't afford to get her eyes off Freya. "A chronicler? No."

"Then how does she know about the Beacon?"

That was a good question, and one Kizuna wanted an answer for. Perhaps Freya had simply met Naamah by chance in these last seven months? The Zoroark had revealed the existence of her group to them in a rather casual manner, she could have done the same to others.

"Because I'm part of that group, that I am."

Well, that dispelled their doubts. And caused many others.

They had assumed the Beacon was a union of discontent chroniclers trying to take down the Observatory by eradicating all Adamantium, but if this Mienshao wasn't a chronicler, then that theory didn't seem to stand. In fact, the implications of this scared Kizuna a little, for if non-chroniclers could be members of the Beacon, then anyone could potentially be one. If they had been recruited in the last seven months, the Observatory might have not registered it.

"I'll be asking a third time. How do you know my name?"

Freya was starting to grow impatient, tapping the floor with one foot. Although she looked more dainty than anything, she was still a fighting-type and a defender, Kizuna didn't want to make her any angrier. But what could she say to calm her down? She was at a loss for words.

She might as well confess.

"Yes, I'm a chronicler. That's how I know," Kizuna admitted, making Freya's muzzle shift into an 'I knew it' kind of grin.

Zephyr promptly jumped in front of Kizuna to defend her from any incoming attacks. However, Freya just turned her back to them, seemingly uninterested.

"You're leaving…?"

"The good peoples of the Coral Sittella don't take kindly to those who cause strife under their dominion, that they don't. If we must one day fight, let it not be here."

And just like that, the Mienshao left. Well, how anticlimactic.

But maybe it was for the better. Out of the four of them, only Zephyr was trained specifically for battle, the other three only knew some basic notions of self-defense. Scylla commented on this. "Maybe we should get some training after all."

They stood there, staring at the exit mutely for a short moment, before Zephyr decided to break the silence. "We aren't really doing anything standing here looking at the exit like idiots. How about we go see your friend already?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Now that the Mienshao was gone they could take a look at the interior of the Haecceity calmly. It was really a small building, easily the smallest among all the Haecceities. It took them but a few seconds to find the main chamber, where they found a Lilligant, presumably the leader, although only the girls recognized the Lilligant's species.

The males were going to ask if the strange plant-like creature with a flowery crown was the leader, but Scylla prematurely dispelled their doubts with a shout. "Alyssa!"

She ran to the Lilligant and embraced her, not unlike she had done before with Euria.

"Scylla, my homegirl! Back already? Missed me, uh?"

"I took a short break to relax and break away from my shows for a little while. I'm going on a little trip with my friends here: Agni, Zephyr and Kizzie."

Alyssa raised one of her leafy hands to greet them. "Hey, 'sup." Although her speech style was… peculiar, to put it kindly, her tone of voice was what would be expected from someone with her elegant appearance. This high contrast almost made her voice sound silly.

Agni lowered his forequarters and bowed his head, to the point where his nose was touching the floor. He should be courteous around a leader after all. "It's an honor, milady."

"Nah, I ain't your lady, and if ya're so submissive at everythin', ya ain't ever gonna get a lady of yar own either." Alyssa gestured him to raise his head with one of her leaf-arms. "Head up, ya're a proud fire-type! Show me yar more menacin' glare." The Flareon tried to do as ordered, but ended up looking more innocently confused than anything. Alyssa couldn't repress a chuckle. "Dear lord, good ol' Scylla must have ya terrorized."

Scylla burst out giggling. "He doesn't like it when we talk about that."

Indeed. Agni was already regretting coming, he knew he should have just stayed at the Amber Crane. How about he changed the topic? "Hey, who was that white and purple pokémon from before? Was she talking to you?"

"Way to change the topic. You really don't like us talkin' 'bout ya, uh, lad?"

"Were you talking to her or not?"

"To the Mienshao gal? Yeah, I was. Why, ya know her?"

So 'Mienshao' was the name of her species, uh? "What did she want…?"

Alyssa crossed her arms and looked up to the ceiling, thinking. "She was lookin' for some kinda item. A blue stone or somethin'… No idea what she meant."

"I see…"

That didn't really help them. Whatever, they could worry about the Mienshao later, she didn't seem like an immediate threat.

"Hey, Alyssa, can we spend the night here?" Scylla asked. Straight to the point, she didn't waste a second. Zephyr was a bit surprised with her forwardness, and Agni with her apparent lack of manners in front of a leader.

"Sure thing!" Alyssa responded in a similarly casual kind of way. "I've an empty guestroom collectin' dust back there." Well, at least they had a place to stay.

"Wait, how many guestrooms does this Haecceity have?" Agni asked. "One?"

"One, lad," Alyssa answered. "Ya think this a hostel or somethin'?"

"Ah, then I guess we can't all stay here."

"Why? It's big enuff' for ya four."

"Yeah, but… well… we can't sleep in the same room as the girls, right…?" Everyone looked at the Flareon with bewilderment. It seemed like he was the only one who had a problem with it.

The Lilligant shook her head, as if disappointed. "Egad, what a prudish lad! Loosen up a tad!"

Zephyr eyed his cousin with curiosity. What was all the fuss about? Was he being overly-correct again or just shy? "What's the matter, Agni? Don't you always sleep in the same room as Opal?"

"That's because she's my sister, but those two… um…"

Scylla walked to the Flareon's side, smiling at him affectionately. "Aw, you don't have to be like that! We know you and Zephyr wouldn't try anything with us, don't worry." She kept staring at him for a brief moment, and then slanted her head forward towards him. "Because… you wouldn't try anything with us, right…?"

Agni heaved a sigh, somewhat annoyed by the question. "No, and you well know it. Look, it's not about you, it's just…" He cautiously threw a glance to the Sylveon. Was she the problem? "I'm not going to sleep in the same room that someone with the Cute Charm ability."

Kizuna took two steps back, looking almost hurt. Even with all her knowledge as a chronicler, she still hadn't anticipated that kind of comment. She wasn't actually offended, it was his rough tone of voice that had left her at a loss for words.

Scylla ran to her side to console her, although she didn't really need any consolation, and fired Agni a half-angry half-sad glare. "Agni, that was kind of harsh."

"Harsh? How is this harsh? You can't just sleep near someone of the opposite sex with Cute Charm, that's a recipe for disaster. I'm just saving us from future… problems."

"I won't activate it, I swear," Kizuna assured.

"You can't swear something like that. Pokémon don't have control over their innate abilities, they just activate on their own."

"But it only activates on physical contact, right?" Zephyr noted. "Then we just have to make sure not to get close to her during the night."

"What if she rolls around in her sleep? Or any of us, for that matter? It's too much of a risk, the best solution it's to sleep on different rooms. Zephyr and I can just go to a hostel, it's not the end of the world."

"I guess…" Kizuna muttered softly. Deep inside, as much as she hated to admit it, he was completely right. She still didn't even know how her ability worked exactly, so sleeping in the same closed space would be an unnecessary risk. It wasn't that bad anyway, it wasn't a reason to be sad. "Well, that's settled then! What do we do now?"

"Ya give up so quick?" Alyssa asked. "Try pressin' the issue a bit more."

Kizuna shook her head with a smile. "Nah, it doesn't really matter. It's fine like this."

"Whatever floats yar boat, lassie. If ya're happy, ya ain't gonna hear me complainin'." That matter settled, Alyssa moved to the back of the room and picked up some papers. She was reading them back when they entered the room. "Now, I'm kinda busy with the festival and all that jizz, so…"

"Oh, we don't want to be a bother." Scylla drew closer to the exit and motioned to the other eeveelutions to do the same. "We'll be leaving now, then. How about we go see the many gardens of the node? They're really a sight to see." Even Agni had to agree with that. They could spend the rest of the day checking the beautiful gardens of the Coral Sittella, famous on all nodes. That didn't sound like a bad plan, so they all nodded in unison. "Good! Kizzie and I will be back by night, Alyssa. Is that alright?"

"Alright that is. Go have some fun, ya're still young."

"Until later!" They had just come to the Haecceity to say 'hi' to the Lilligant, so now that they had done that, they just left her to her work and left the place.

Time flew by while they visited the many and varied gardens and greenhouses of the Coral Sittella filled with all kinds of exotic cultivated plants and dazzling flowers, the group talking about many trivial topics through the way. It wasn't exactly an exciting experience, but nonetheless they liked the quiet calm and peace that surrounded them.

Once night fell, the females went back to the Haecceity to rest, while the males looked for a hostel. It hadn't been a terribly interesting day except for their encounter with the Mienshao, but that was okay with them. Agni didn't have anything better to do, Scylla was enjoying some leisure time with pokémon her age, and Zephyr and Kizuna were just having fun being with them.

* * *

><p>"We've reached the training grounds."<p>

Skoll communicated the obvious to the other eons. Even an outsider to the Heptagonal Ring would easily identify this place as some sort of training space, what with the many pokémon fighting each other. Skoll brought their attentions to a Weavile facing a Luxray not far from their position.

"See the Weavile over there? That's Vetr."

Ivy looked at the two creatures the Umbreon had mentioned, who were fighting each other. It was clear they were holding back, it was almost as if they were just playing around, and not engaged in combat.

Wait, which one was the 'Weavile' Skoll had mentioned? Ivy didn't remember having heard of such species before. "Saf, which one is the 'Weavile'?"

"Weavile… I think that's the black weasel-like creature with the big claws. The other one is a… a Luxio, I think?"

Lumis stared at the leonine black-furred creature while considering what the Glaceon had just said. A Luxio? "That's a bit too big for a Luxio, maybe it is its evolved form, Luxray. But I can't say for sure, it's not like I'm an expert at electric-types."

"Now you mention it, a Luxio is far less covered in black fur. Maybe it is a Luxray after all, yes."

"Okay, okay, a Luxray then," Ivy said while repeatedly nodding her head. She didn't really care about the Luxray, it was the Weavile they had come see. "Shouldn't you tell your friend you're here?"

Skoll shook his head. "And interrupt her battle? That'd be a great offense to someone of the Blue Warbler. Let's just watch and wait until they're done, okay?"

They didn't really have much else to do, so why not? The members of the Cerulean Warbler were supposed to be professional fighters, so it would at least be an interesting watch.

The battle itself was actually pretty basic. The Luxray rushed to the Weavile trying to use Thunder Fang, the Weavile then jumped above the lion avoiding the attack and counterattacked midair with an Icy Wind of her own, which in turn the Luxray also avoided. It looked like a carefully orchestrated choreography, it was clear neither of them was taking the fight too seriously.

"That's all you got, girl?" The Luxray was panting with his tongue sticking out, his tiredness visible in the irregular way he was breathing.

By comparison, the Weavile looked much more energetic, although she was also panting weakly. "Let's take a short break, Minos. You're exhausted."

"You don't look much better, but yeah, you're right, let's get some rest."

Seeing as they had finally finished their little strife, the eeveelutions thought it a good time to talk to them. Skoll was the one to initially call their attention. "Hey, Vetr!"

Upon hearing the voice, which the Weavile instantly recognized, her tired expression turned into one of unadulterated joy. "Skoll! And Lumis too!" Vetr dashed to them at a frantic speed, leaving the Luxray behind with a perplexed stare on his face, and gave the duo a group hug, minding her own claws not to accidentally harm them.

In spite of the small size of the weasel and the fact that she was somewhat tired, her strength didn't seem to waver in the slightest. It was almost hurting the Umbreon. "Ugh… Easy now, girl…"

Lumis couldn't even find the strength to speak, he had more than enough trying to keep himself from falling unconscious.

After a handful of seconds that seemed unnecessarily long to the eeveelutions, Vetr finally broke the hug and took a few steps back from them, much to their relief. The Luxray also approached the newcomers, wondering who they could be.

"Hey, Vetr, who are those people? Pals of yours?"

"Ah, you bet they are! The black one's Skoll and the purple one's Lumis. They're old friends from back when I belonged to the Nightingale."

"That's neat, that you keep contact with your old friends. And the other two?"

"Uh?" It was then that she noticed the Leafeon and the Glaceon beside her two old eeveelution friends. "They… oh, are they with you two?"

Ivy chose to introduce herself and her sister. "I'm Ivy, and this here is my sister Safira. We're the daughters of the Calandra's leader."

By her tone of voice Vetr could tell she was talking to a female. And even without considering her voice, pheromones made it easy for pokémon to detect others' genders at close distance. "And, uh, what is your… relationship with them?"

Vetr didn't even comment on them being related to a leader. Neither the Weavile nor the Luxray seemed to care in the slightest, which Ivy truly appreciated. "We came here for business reasons. They also had to come here, so we just decided to tag along. I guess that make us… acquaintances?"

"Friends, Ivy," Skoll said, sounding quite sure of himself.

Ivy hesitantly nodded. There was something about the way he had said it that sounded… odd to the Leafeon. "Ah, yeah, I guess. Friends. Just friends."

"Just friends," the Luxray repeated.

"Just friends," Ivy repeated once again.

"Okay. Just friends." The electric lion had a very apparent smirk on his face.

"What's with that tone…?" Ivy leered at him angrily, but the Luxray just glanced aside and chuckled. "Is he another friend of yours, guys? How many friends do you have here?"

"Just Vetr, we are not acquainted with the Luxray gentleman," Lumis explained. "Vetr, care to introduce us?"

"Ah, yes. This is Minos, a pal from the Cerulean Warbler. We were training just now."

"Nice to see another feline, man." Minos leisurely advanced towards the Espeon, and once he was close enough he extended his frontal right paw to him. Lumis timidly shook his hand, confirming that the lion was as strong as his brawny body made him look. This wasn't a surprise, coming from someone from the node that specialized in fighting.

He then proceeded to repeat the same with the Umbreon, offering him his paw to shake, which Skoll promptly did. The 'pawshake' was quite more vigorous than the one before, which made the Luxray draw a grin. "You're strong, man. Want us to hit the training grounds later?"

Was that a challenge? Well, if it was, Skoll certainly wasn't gonna refuse. "At least an electric/dark pokémon like you will receive little damage from my main attacks."

"I'm just electric, buddy."

"Oh? Then thank goodness Lum here knows Wish." Skoll flashed a defiant grin, which Minos reciprocated. Now the lion really wanted to test his skills against him.

But that would have to wait a little, he still had to introduce himself to two more pokémon. Next in line was the Leafeon, which he boldly approached. Once again, he offered his paw, and Ivy accepted his invitation. His muzzle once again turned into a smirk.

"Not bad. I might want to try you out later too."

"I-I beg your pardon?"

"In the battlefield, I mean. You're at least brawnier than the purple cat."

Lumis didn't even take that as an offense. He was physically weak, he already knew that, it was magical attacks where he excelled. Minos now went for the last of them, the Glaceon, leaving Ivy behind a bit more than dazed. Safira took a few steps back for caution when she saw the Luxray approaching her, but that didn't seem to slow down the lion in the slightest.

"I know I tried to get Vetr Thunder Fang'd before, but other than that I usually don't bite," he joked, but Safira didn't seem to take it as a joke. He still offered his paw, as per usual. "Well?"

After pondering about it for a moment, Safira arrived to the conclusion that the quicker way to make him leave her alone would be to just humor him and give him her paw.

Minos dropped her paw almost as soon as he received, letting out a disappointed guttural grunt. "You're even scrawnier than the cat. You two really need some training."

"You know Espeon and Glaceon specialize in special attacks, right?" Vetr asked Minos, who just gave her a confused look. "You can't judge a pokémon like that by their musculature, but by their brains. And as far as I know Luxray are not telepaths, so you're kinda wasting your time."

Ivy and Safira seemed a bit surprised with her knowledge, but then remembered what the boys had told them before, that Vetr once belonged to the Azure Nightingale. It wouldn't be too surprising for a pokémon from this node to be well-informed, although Vetr's knowledge seemed to cover only battle-related topics. It was like a union of the ideals of the Azure Nightingale and the Cerulean Warbler.

Now that all eyes were on Vetr, she was getting a bit uneasy. "Well, what are you all doing looking at me like that? Are we gonna resume our training or what?"

She didn't need to tell them twice. Skoll, Minos and Vetr herself were dying to test their skills against each other, and even Ivy was somewhat interested in it, with only Lumis and Safira sitting in the sidelines, but intently watching. They spent the rest of the day doing a variety of mock battles, most of which were won by Vetr or Minos, although Skoll and Ivy also managed to rack up a victory or two against them. They even managed to convince Lumis to join in a short battle against Skoll, which the dark-type obviously won due to his greater battle experience and type advantage.

Once the moon set, they said their goodbyes to Vetr and Minos and parted to a hostel where they would spend the night, in two different rooms at Ivy's request. They were liking their little trip so far, and the day had been rather exciting: Skoll and Ivy had a chance to refine their battle skills, Lumis was just thinking about the machine he would have to repair the next day, and Safira was slowly warming up to them. Slowly. Plus, they had met Vetr and Minos, who seemed rather nice. All in all, it had been a very productive and enjoyable day for all of them.


	6. Blossom

The Garnet Oriole. The red node. Considered by many as the most important of all the nodes in the Heptagonal Ring. Its whole ideology could be easily summed up in one simple word: justice. The laws that regulated all the nodes in the Heptagonal Ring originated from the Garnet Oriole, and it was also their duty to make sure these laws were followed and to punish those who broke them.

At first sight, it may seem like this gave the Garnet Oriole complete hegemony over the Heptagonal Ring, but such was not the case, for none of their laws would pass without the explicit approval of the Coral Sittella. Overall, most of the population of the Heptagonal Ring would consider the law to be fair and just, although maybe a little too lenient due to the Coral Sittella's intervention, who tended to be more on the permissive side.

Coming here and contacting the leader of the Garnet Oriole was the very reason Tesla had allowed Kizuna to travel through the Heptagonal Ring, and she had finally reached the target of her trip. Far from blissful, she actually felt a bit sad, for it meant that her travels would soon come to an end, and that she would have to say goodbye to her new friends.

Or maybe not. Maybe this 'Beacon' group was such a big threat that the chroniclers would need to involve themselves in the whole affair, thus giving her an excuse to prolong her stay at the Heptagonal Ring. But she didn't want to raise her expectations too high just in case she wouldn't stay after all.

She could discuss all that with her master later. Right now she needed to contact Garm, the leader of the Garnet Oriole, to warn him about the Beacon and the Zoroark.

"We're going straight to the Haecceity, right?" The voice of the Jolteon jolted her back to reality.

"Yeah, let's keep our priorities straight," Agni said. "First thing we do is talk to the leader of this node. We can nose around the city later."

"We'll be there in no time!" Kizuna wanted to reach the Haecceity and finish their business as soon as possible so she could spend the rest of the day with the others. Tesla would have to bring her back to the Observatory sooner or later, for all she knew the next day could be the last one she would have a chance to be with the other eeveelutions.

After a few minutes of walking they found themselves before a large edifice of red walls, clearly the Haecceity of the node. Unlike most other Haecceities that allowed access to anyone, a Nuzleaf guard forbade unjustified access to this one.

No problem, Kizuna thought. They just had to be kind and civil and the Nuzleaf would let them in. "Hello, sir! We need to talk to Garm –"

"No."

So much for negotiations. "B-But it's important because –"

"No."

"B-But we –"

"Do you have hearing problems? I said no."

"Wow, rude!"

"Sorry, kid, but our leader is really busy right now. The 7777th festival is tomorrow, he can't afford to waste time."

"It's a matter of security," Zephyr interceded. "This Sylveon here is a chronicler. She holds relevant information that your leader needs to hear."

"A chronicler?" The Nuzleaf eyed the pearly-furred creature with disinterest, raising an eyebrow. "Look, we have no time for games. How about you go be a bother somewhere else?"

"Wow, seriously, rude." So he didn't believe her to be a chronicler? No big deal. That was something easy to prove. "Your favorite berry flavor is Grepa."

"How…?"

"And you have a crush on that really cute Snover jailer that –"

"Okay, okay, I believe you now." The Nuzleaf was looking away, trying to cover his now reddened face with his hands. "Then… uh… if you really are a chronicler, I guess you'll have your reasons to be here. Go on, pass."

The Nuzleaf was feeling more than a bit awkward and wanted to lose sight of them sooner rather than later. Not that they were going to complain, entering the Haecceity was the reason they were here after all.

They finally entered the Haecceity and… well, that was something! This was the biggest of all the Haecceities, and perhaps the single largest building in the whole Heptagonal Ring. From the outside it looked like some kind of ancient cathedral made of crystal, and the inside didn't look all that different either. It was practically a labyrinth inside, but fortunately Kizuna knew well enough the path to follow to the leader's chamber. Perks of being a chronicler.

Eventually, they arrived at a big circular room with a blue humanoid jackal-like creature sitting in the middle, leafing through some papers which he then deposited on the floor beside him. They all easily recognized the species of this pokémon, since it was one of the most well-known ones due to their great aptitude with aural skills. Plus, the fact that the leader of the Garnet Oriole was a Lucario was widely spread knowledge.

"Who might you be?" he asked. But he waited for no answer, he instead closed his eyes and raised a paw to them, in meditation. After all, words were not to be trusted, for they could conceal lies. But auras? Those were impossible to hide or manipulate.

The Lucario, with his eyes closed, 'saw' four pokémon before him. The first thing he noticed was the similarity of the shapes of their respective auras, leaving no doubt that they all belonged to the same species. He started analyzing the colors he perceived in their auras. A vivid happy yellow seemed to be the most prevalently shared color in their auras, although some wavering blue stains of doubt and nervousness were also present. He felt no malice, though, and ultimately that was what truly mattered to him.

"What's the motive of your presence here?" While his aura-reading powers allowed him to discern the intentions of others, it was no mind-reading.

Let's start with the basics, Kizuna thought. "I'm a chronicler, Mr. Garm. Kizuna, or Kizzie, if you prefer."

"A chronicler, you say?" Kizuna, uh? Garm had heard that name before, but still wanted some proof. "What was I doing on March 25th, 7763?"

"Talking with my master, Tesla, in this very place."

"A common girl would have no way of knowing that." Garm nodded, slowly opening his eyes. "Tesla did mention an Eevee pupil with the name Kizuna. Due to your physical similarities, shall I assume your species evolves from Eevee, and that you are thus that pupil of his?"

"Yes, sir."

It was easy for an aura-reading pokémon to detect lies, those manifested as brusque quivers in the aura, but hers remained unwavering. It was clear to the Lucario that she was speaking the truth.

"What is the motive of your visit, if you don't mind me asking? I find it peculiar that Tesla wasn't the one to contact me."

"He's busy with some things, so he sent me in his place to warn you about something. The Beacon."

"Care to elaborate?"

So Garm hadn't heard talk about the Beacon either? They must have formed only recently, although that was something they knew already. Well, time to explain. "They're a group of people who want to eradicate all Adamantium."

"I beg your pardon?" He stared at her wide-eyed. Was she lying? She had to be, surely there couldn't be someone as insane as to wish something like that. But no, her aura didn't show any signs of deceit, she was being sincere. "But how would they accomplish something like that?"

"No idea, but we met a Zoroark of that group, Naamah was her name, and she said they would appear tomorrow at the 7777th anniversary of the Heptagonal Ring. Tesla sent me to warn you."

"I see. In the name of the Garnet Oriole, I thank you for notifying me about this." Zoroark… That was the kind of pokémon that would be quite skilled at illusionary techniques. "Their illusions shouldn't be able to bypass my aura-reading, but I'll be sure to bring some more Lucario and dark-types to the Conflux tomorrow for further safety."

"There is also a Mienshao," Scylla added. "She looked less threatening, though."

"Mienshao…"

"Yes, they're like… a white and purple kind of weasel–"

"Yes, I'm familiarized with that species. Thank you." Garm stood silent with his eyes closed for a while, as if meditating about something, before picking again the papers he had left on the floor earlier. "I highly appreciate that you have taken the time to warn me about this. As the leader of the Garnet Oriole, I give you my word that we shall do everything in our hands to ensure the celebration tomorrow is free of all mishap."

Picking those papers back again… was that a polite way of telling them to leave? He was understandably occupied with his leader obligations, specially the day before the famed festival, so perhaps they shouldn't take more of his time than necessary. Hadn't they come just to warn him? They had just done so, no much more reason to stay around.

Agni bowed down to the Lucario. "We will take our leave now."

"Ah, yes, we will," Scylla said. "We don't wish to be a bother."

"Very well." Garm didn't even raise his gaze from his papers. "I hope you find the celebration tomorrow enjoyable."

Neither Zephyr nor Kizuna had any complaints about leaving the place, specially the Sylveon. She wanted to loiter around town with them for the rest of the day.

So they left to do just that.

* * *

><p>Adjacent to the Garnet Oriole was the Lilac Kiwi, the violet node. Both groups of eeveelutions had started their trips at the Beryl Calandra, located at the south of the Heptagonal Ring. Kizuna's group had travelled through three nodes clockwise and the other had advanced through the three other nodes counterclockwise, meaning they were now in neighboring nodes, at the north of the Heptagonal Ring.<p>

All this meant that, between both groups, they had visited all the seven nodes of the Heptagonal Ring in just a few days, which is incredibly useful for us, as it doubles as a really drawn-out introduction of sorts. It's almost as if someone had designed their travel routes for that very reason.

But no, that would be silly. I'm just telling things as they happened, anyway.

The two male eeveelutions from the Azure Nightingale and the two females from the Beryl Calandra had just entered the Lilac Kiwi. It was Lumis' presence that had been requested at the node, the other three were just tagging along, but it's not like he minded their company.

Upon arriving to the node, they were welcomed with quite an unusual scene: a Delcatty holding a bag in his mouth, which he deposited on the floor below him.

His face turned into an exaggerated grin. "Mwahahaha! I, the great cat burglar Calogero, have finally stolen this supply of Adamantium from that orphanage! With this, I shall be filthy rich, instead of just filthy!" he shouted to the air, not minding his surroundings.

"A cat burglar?" Skoll stared at him, incredulous. He was a cat alright, but that was the worst burglar he had ever seen. "So… do we do something about this or…?"

Lumis stopped him with a paw. "Hold on. How many thieves have you seen explaining their exploits to an audience?" He pointed to a congregation of pokémon sitting nearby, looking expectantly at the Delcatty. A majority of them were kids.

"Oh, is this one of their shows, maybe?" Ivy wondered. "That cat might be just an actor."

"That's what I thought," Lumis said with a nod.

That made sense. The Delcatty was rather old, not an old man, but certainly much older than them, so if he were a thief he would most definitely be… more professional than that, he wouldn't be communicating his plans to an audience full of kids. That kind of attitude was more fitting of a 'cartoon villain', which is what he seemed to be performing as.

"Then we just wait, right?" Ivy asked. "I mean, if there's a villain, there must be a hero too."

"No one shall stop me!" The voice of the Delcatty, surprisingly high-pitched for a male of his age, brought their attention back to the scene. "This is a victory for me, the great cat burglar Calogero!"

"Not if I can stop you!" Right on cue, the 'hero' appeared in scene. It was a small humanoid creature with obvious avian features all over his body.

"What kind of pokémon is that?" Ivy asked, turning to her sister.

Safira shook her head. "I dunno."

"I think they call those Hawlucha," Lumis noted. "Fighting types, I think. Or maybe even fighting/flying."

"Not you again! Cursed be my luck!" Once again, the voice of the Delcatty caught their attention.

The audience was going wild, the many kids cheering him on. The Hawlucha crossed his arms (wings?) and looked up to the sky. "El Ciclón has arrived! I will strike fear into the hearts of evildoers!"

Calogero launched against the Hawlucha, but the bird quickly moved away. Well, not that quickly, actually. It was quite evident the fight was choreographed, but that didn't seem to stop the kids from enjoying the show.

The avian pokémon extended his arms in front of the Delcatty. "It's time for El Ciclón to stop you! Plancha Voladora!" He jumped on the Delcatty and used the feline's own body as support to propel himself higher into the air. Once he was at the zenith of his jump, he spread his wings and fell at an accelerate rate downwards toward the cat, who didn't make any effort to move away from the incoming attack. It is of note that the whole procedure was rather slow, and the Delcatty could have avoided it very easily, but chose not to.

The Hawlucha's attack finally impacted against his target, Calogero, who fell to the ground in response. For any experimented fighter, it was fairly obvious that the Hawlucha's attack hadn't had much of an effect on the Delcatty, but the cat feigned fainting nonetheless.

"Argh! Cursed be my luck, stopped once again by El Ciclón! But this will not be the last you hear of me, my old arch-nemesis! I'll come back!"

"And I will be ready!" The Hawlucha turned to the public and adopted an overly-typical and clichéd 'hero' pose. "El Ciclón shall never rest as long as evil causes unrest!"

The audience burst into a roaring applause, seeming quite thrilled with the spectacle they had just witnessed. The quality of the story line was rather… mediocre, perhaps, but the kids seemed to have loved it anyway.

And some older mons had enjoyed too. "That was kind of cool," Ivy admitted.

"You think? Well, I don't judge." Skoll said that, but he couldn't contain a small chuckle. He found it quite tender that she apparently liked a show meant for kids. "But don't you think it was kind of… you know… hammy, is that the word?"

"It might have been a bit overacted, but the acrobatics were cool," she protested, causing the Umbreon to smirk. "It wasn't that bad, right, Saf? You liked it too, right?"

The Glaceon glanced away, not sure of what to say. "It was… The acting could have been better."

"Aw, you too?"

Skoll chuckled again, noticing how the Leafeon was starting to blush slightly. "So what's the final verdict, Lum? Was it good?"

"I'll agree that the acting leaves quite a bit to be desired, but that was a show clearly meant for kids, so we should judge it based on that. And, well… the kids seemed to love it, didn't they? So I guess it fulfilled its objective: entertaining the kids."

"Well, that's true. The little mons seem to love that bird luchador fellow," Skoll said. He caught notice of a bunch of young pokémon gathering around the Hawlucha, who was striking some poses and hurling out cliché hero phrases. He twisted his head to the Leafeon beside him. "And some of the older mons also seem to like him."

"H-Hey, I already told you I only liked his moves! The acting was bad, but the acrobatics were neat…"

"Our acting was bad, you say?" The Delcatty had approached Ivy without them noticing, showing much more stealth than back at the stage, leaving his Hawlucha partner behind. He was… way too close for comfort to the Leafeon, which made her more than a bit nervous. "It hurts to me to hear such a beautiful lady tell me that."

"A-Ah? N-No, I don't–" The plant-type was so red she feared she might catch fire any moment. Why did he have to stay so close to her?

Ivy tried to pull her head away from him, but Calogero promptly stopped her by putting a paw over her cheek. "You have to understand that the show was meant for a younger public, and they value different things than us adults." The Delcatty was now gently caressing her cheek, much to her chagrin. Wait, actually… it didn't feel that bad, did it? She didn't really mind. "Now, if you're interested in some more… adult entertainment, I'd gladly invite you home and –"

The whole scene was making everyone awkward, and the fact that Ivy wasn't even defending herself didn't help matters. Skoll considered an intervention was needed, and split them apart with his paws. "Okay, that's enough for today. Cat, go home and take a cold shower."

Calogero just smirked, making no effort to fight the Umbreon back. "Ease down, Mr. Red-Eyes. The lady and I were just talking."

Ivy nodded, much to their surprise. "Yeah, that was rude, Skoll."

"Ivy…?"

"He was just trying to be nice. You didn't have to do that."

Was she angry at him? What the…? Skoll turned to Lumis, desperately searching for an explanation. "Hey, is that cat psychic too? Did he do something to her?"

"Delcatty are normal-type…" It didn't make any sense to the Espeon either. Maybe they had a secondary type he didn't remember? Maybe Delcatty were normal/psychic or even normal/fairy? No, that wasn't right. Then what…?

"A-Attract?" Safira suggested.

Attract, uh? The symptoms were clearly similar, but there's no way the Delcatty had used such a flashy move without them noticing. But wait, that wasn't the only way to force infatuation. "Maybe Delcatty have Cute Charm as their abilities?" It made sense, Ivy had only started acting oddly after he had touched her, and Delcatty certainly looked like the kind of cutesy pokémon who would have that kind of ability.

"What? Don't be stupid!" Ivy couldn't believe what they were saying. How dare they accuse Mr. Calogero of doing something so despicable? "This has nothing to do with any weird abilities! It's just that he's very… handsome and nice and dreamy…"

"See? You're just importuning the lady." Calogero once again approached the Leafeon, but this time she didn't make any effort to escape from him. On the contrary, Ivy darted to him when she saw him advancing. Was he giving her attention? She was the luckiest girl in the world! Her tail was wagging wildly. "Now, if you excuse us, I would like to spend some time alone wi–"

"Cal." A stern voice stopped the Delcatty on his tracks, making him gulp and recoil away from the Leafeon. It was the Hawlucha from before, who had already said goodbye to his fans. And thank goodness he had come, for Skoll was about to jump at the Delcatty's neck. "You're not pestering the lady, are you?"

After the initial shock, Calogero managed to regain his composure. "But of course not. She can tell you herself, right, dear?"

"Of course!" Had he just called her 'dear'? Oh, sweet Shaymin! This was the happiest day of her life! "It's my friends who were being mean and unfair to him."

"See? I haven't done anything."

The Hawlucha held a small bag in his hands, from which he took a small light blue leaf, which he then showed to everyone. "Then you won't mind if we give her this, right?"

The Delcatty's face turned pale. Well, paler. "U-Uh, yeah, sure, go ahead. But I, uh, I have to go somewhere. Like, right now."

"W-What? Why?" Ivy felt heartbroken. Why did he have to leave? Had she offended him somehow?

Calogero didn't even bother giving an answer, he just left in a dash, running as far as his frail legs allowed him to. His attitude caused the Hawlucha to sigh in exasperation, and everyone else to look at the fleeing Delcatty in puzzlement.

The bird approached Ivy, offering her the bluish plant he held in his hands. "Please, eat this."

What was that? Some kind of medicinal herb? Skoll had no idea, but maybe his friend did. "Hey, what is that, Lum?"

"I don't know, I'm no herbalist. It looks like a medicinal herb of sorts."

Safira stared at the blue-colored leaf. Could it have been a Mental Herb or a Power Herb? She remembered that one of those was blue and the other red, but could never remember which one was which color. But given the current situation… "I think it may be a Mental Herb, a medicinal herb that clears the mind."

"Clear the mind? Why would I need something like that?" Ivy asked, sincerely.

"If your… infatuation has been caused by Cal's ability, this should snap you out of it," the Hawlucha calmly explained, showing a serenity that highly contrasted with his 'El Ciclón' persona. "Be warned that it tastes quite strong."

Oh, great. As if Calogero leaving her wasn't bad enough, now even that stupid bird doubted her totally genuine feelings. Well, she'll show him! She'd eat that stupid leaf and show them that their love was true and that Mr. Calogero had done nothing wrong! She picked the Mental Herb from the Hawlucha's hands and promptly threw it down her throat.

Arceus, did that taste bad. It was as if a Ferroseed was spinning inside her throat! But she didn't care, for she had ingested the Mental Herb and her love for Mr. Calogero hadn't disappeared!

Wait, maybe 'love' was too strong a word. It was more like affection. No, not quite that either. She just thought he was kinda handsome… but not that much, either. Hell, the Umbreon and the Espeon beside her were much better-looking. And all things considered, the Delcatty was kinda old for her, he might have been as old as his father. Also, wasn't he kind of… arrogant? But, even with all that, she still felt…

Uh… Wait a…

Her eyes became bloodshot with rage. "If I find that Casanova wannabe again, he's getting a Solar Beam to the face."

The Hawlucha bowed down in an apologetic fashion. "I would ask you to please forgive him, but Cal's behavior was truly inexcusable. I'm really sorry you had to go through that."

"A-Ah, no, it's not your fault. In fact, if it weren't for your Mental Herbs, who knows what…" She didn't even want to think about it. She wanted to believe she would have had enough force of will to awaken at some point, but… she really didn't want to think about it. "Oh, and I'm sorry guys. I might have been a bit… mean to you."

Skoll smirked amiably. The danger had passed, nothing mattered anymore. "Not your fault, Ivy. As far as I'm concerned, that was just a bad dream caused by a Darkrai."

"Yes, don't worry about that," Safira said with a nod. But of course she wouldn't be angry at her sister over something like that.

Lumis also nodded, seemingly forgiving her, but he had other matters in mind. Hadn't they come to this node to repair some machine? They should say goodbye to the nice Hawlucha and go on with their business. "Thank you for everything, Mr., uh, Mr. Ciclón."

The Hawlucha had a little laugh. "Oh, no, that's not my name, please call me Sendoa. So who are you?"

Lumis wanted to find the machine already to start working on it, but he didn't even know where to start looking. It wouldn't hurt to be polite, anyway, and maybe Sendoa knew something about it. "I'm Lumis, and these here are Skoll, Safira and Ivy. The Nightingale sends us to repair a G-2401-T. Do you perhaps know something about it?"

"Are you talking about a machine that creates lights and special effects?" Sendoa asked, gesturing with his hands.

"Ah? Yes, indeed. Do you know where we can find it?"

"Oh, so you were the ones the Nightingale sent! We were starting to think you wouldn't make it here in time, thank goodness you're finally here!" The bird looked quite joyed. "I'll lead the way. Please follow me."

The machine they needed to see wasn't too far from their position, they reached it in but a few minutes of walking. It was a huge cubical artifact filled to the brim with buttons and levers of different colors and sizes, easily four to five times bigger than an eeveelution.

"There it is. When we push the button to turn it on, nothing happens." To illustrate it, Sendoa pressed a big button in the center of the machine with 'ON' written on it, but nothing happened. "So do you know why it's not working?"

"Unlike other psychic-types, I'm no clairvoyant. I'll need to check it to know what's wrong."

"Feel free to."

Lumis got closer to the strange mechanism in order to inspect it more closely, trying to find out what was making it malfunction, while the rest of pokémon just waited patiently for him to finish. In spite of the massive size of the machine, at least compared to an Espeon, it took him less than one minute to detect where the problem was.

He pointed to a horizontal slit on the lower base of the machine. "Look inside, the dragon particles are scattered all over the place. They're supposed to be jumbled together around the core or else the machine won't work."

Sendoa looked through the aperture, but didn't know what he was supposed to be looking at exactly. He decided to trust the feline's judgment. "What might have caused this?"

"To prevent this from happening, these models are usually kept in frozen storage areas. The cold stabilizes the dragon particles," Lumis explained.

"Ah, it needed cold storage? I wasn't informed." It was a relatively recent machine and everyone was busy with the upcoming festival, so they didn't know well how to handle it correctly. "Is there a way to solve this?"

Lumis sighed. There was a way, but… "We'd need to relocate the particles to their correct positions around the core."

"Then all's good, right?" Skoll asked. "You just do that relocating thing and problem solved."

"I can't actually do this myself. I mean – Do you know why they are called 'dragon particles'?"

"Because it sounds cool?"

"Uh, no. It's because they react to elemental attacks in the same way a dragon-type pokémon would," the Espeon explained. "That's why they're usually kept in cold storages, because the cold has the same properties as ice-type moves, and helps keep the particles in check. Dragon particles can only be manipulated by pokémon of types a dragon would be weak to, like fairy."

"But that's no problem," Sendoa assured. "Our node is especially popular among fairy-types. Give me a moment and I'll call a group of fairy-types to lend us a hand."

Lumis shook his head, unconvinced. "No, that wouldn't work. Big numbers and brute force will only break the machine. We need an expert who knows how to handle these particles."

"I still don't see what the problem is. Dragon is weak to ice." Sendoa pointed to Safira. "And isn't the lady an ice-type? She certainly looks like one. Or am I mistaken?"

"No, she _is_ an ice-type, but she isn't from the Nightingale."

"Oh, my bad…" Sendoa crossed his arms. He was running out of ideas. "Can't you just… tell her what to do?"

Lumis considered it for a brief moment. "Worst case scenario we could do that, but it could easily take us all night. Since she doesn't know much about Adamantium and how to work with it, it will take me a while to explain her the basic methods and procedures to manipulate Adamantium securely."

"B-But I do," the Glaceon said in a weak trail of voice.

"Uh?"

"She knows a lot about Adamantium." Ivy came to her defense. "She spends _way_ too much time inside libraries reading about it."

"A lot, you say?" Lumis gave the Glaceon a skeptical stare, causing her to look away. She didn't look like she would know much about something as complex as Adamantium. "I'm not sure what someone from the Calandra considers 'a lot', but okay, let's test you. Can you tell me what structure is required for this node?"

He invited Safira to look through the aperture at the base of the machine, which she hesitantly did. Argh, why did she have to say anything at all? Opening her mouth only led her to trouble, she thought.

Now, that structure looked like… "That's a, um, a heptagonal helical prism?"

Lumis gaped at the ice-type for a second. He was more surprised by the speed of the answer than by the answer itself. "No, it's an octagonal helical prism structure."

"O-Oh, sorry." Was the Espeon judging her? Yeah, he totally was. "Y-You're right, I don't–"

"No, no, that was… unsuspected." How in the world did she know that? So what if she had read some books, she still shouldn't be able to determine a structure by sight so quick. "It was a helical prism alright. Ah, do you know about transition states for particles, maybe? Because that would help us a lot."

Safira was starting to feel a bit intimidated. Sure, back home everyone considered her a genius that knew more about Adamantium than anyone else, but this Espeon was an actual full-fledged researcher from the Azure Nightingale. She couldn't compare, and she knew it. "Transition… states? You mean, um, that about linear translations and rotations and–"

"Yes, that!" he shouted, perhaps a bit more overjoyed than he should be. "That's what we're going to use to move the particles around and relocate them to their correct positions. If you already know the methodology, it will save us a lot of time."

"I only know a bit, really…"

"Even if you only have a superficial knowledge, you'll still be able to help more than someone who doesn't know anything at all about this," he said in an attempt to reassure her. "I can't really think of a better way to repair this, given our current resources."

"U-Uh?" Wait just a… Was the Espeon asking her to help her repair the machine? The same machine that would be used the very next day before all the habitants of the Heptagonal Ring in its most anticipated festival? "T-That's too much… r-responsibility…"

The Hawlucha brought a hand to his face and closed his eyes, adopting a pensive posture. "I guess we could perform our show at the Conflux without this machine, but it just wouldn't be the same. The good peoples of the Ring deserve the best and only the best."

"Wait, how are you even gonna get that thing into the Conflux?" Skoll asked. "We can't possibly move something that big."

"There are many powerful pokémon in our node that can take care of moving it there tomorrow." The Hawlucha gave Safira his best supplicant look. "But it'll all be pointless if the machine doesn't work in the first place."

Safira really didn't know what to do. Both the Espeon and the Hawlucha seemed to be counting on her, and the Umbreon was just eying the machine without a care in the world. What should she do? It was then that Ivy approached her.

Yes! Her sister had thought of something to get her out of this!

"So do you want to do this, Saf?"

That wasn't quite what Safira had expected. Should she just say no? That's what she wanted to say the most, but she couldn't help but feel it would have been a bit… selfish. If she could really make that machine work again… wouldn't that make many pokémon at the festival happy? She just had to.

"F-Fine, but I can't promise anything."

"Thank you!" Sendoa picked up her paws and started to bow his head time and time again. "You don't know how much our node appreciates this!"

"I-It's okay." Safira wasn't doing this for recognition, she was doing it just for… Actually, she wasn't sure why she was even doing this at all. Heck, maybe she just wanted to tamper with the machine, it looked interesting and cool.

"Thanks once again. Now, if my presence is no longer required, I should go check around the node to confirm the other preparations for the festival are going well." With a last polite bow the Hawlucha finally departed, leaving them to their own devices.

"Well then, shall we begin?" Lumis pointed a paw to the device, as if inviting Safira to approach it, which she eventually did.

Seeing they were going to start working on the machine, Skoll started to walk away. "I'll go take a walk around town, okay?"

"Sure. Have fun," Lumis said without even looking back, his gaze fixed on the machine.

"You're leaving?" Ivy asked the Umbreon. "Why?"

"I don't have anything to do here. I usually take a stroll around whatever node we're at whenever Lum's repairing something."

"It's gonna take them that long?" Ivy wondered.

"Three to four hours. Maybe even five," Lumis answered, while explaining Safira some basic security measures before they began. "And be thankful your sister knows a little about the inner workings of Adamantium, or we'd have to stay up late finishing this."

Four hours? Five? There's no way Ivy could sit down that long without doing anything. "Maybe I should check around town too in the meanwhile."

"We could go together," Skoll offered, his rings lighting up very faintly.

Ivy shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"W-Wait, you're leaving?" Safira, who had been attentively listening to the Espeon's lessons a second ago, suddenly turned away from the machine to face her sister. "B-But… um…"

"You'll be fine, right? I'll come back in a few hours. You hopefully will have finished by then." Ivy didn't want to leave her sister alone, but having to wait for five hours… "Your friend can be trusted, right, Skoll? I mean, he won't… try anything weird, right?"

"Good ol' Lum? Nah!" Skoll sniggered, throwing his Espeon partner a sidelong glance. "He's as harmless as a Cherrim allergic to sunlight."

Lumis smiled sourly, not because of what his friend had said, but because he hated being interrupted when he was in the middle of explaining something. "Don't worry about your sister. If anything, you should be scared of being alone with Skoll yourself."

"I'll take that into account." Ivy fired a quick glance at Skoll, noticing he was smirking to himself. "Then you think you'll be fine, Saf?"

Safira had never been alone without her sister or her father before. Was Ivy really going to leave her alone with the Espeon? B-But what if… like… he goes and…

Nah, she couldn't think of anything. He looked like a nice guy at the very least. Plus, the G-2401-T looked really impressive, she wanted to give it a closer look.

She'd have to trust the Espeon for now. Ivy would come back in just a few hours, anyway. "Um, f-fine."

"I promise I'll be back in a jiffy! You won't even notice I'm gone!" Ivy assured her. It didn't seem to convince her, though.

Skoll motioned to Ivy to follow him with a paw. "Let's go, then. If we keep making them waste their time they're not gonna finish it today."

"Ah, yes. Yes, you're right." She started to chase after the Umbreon, stopping briefly to say goodbye to her sister. "Bye, Saf! Take care!"

"Will do!" Safira waved her sister off with a paw, and only after she saw her disappear into the distance did she turn to the giant machine behind her.

"Let's begin then," Lumis said.

Neither of them was all too used to being alone with someone of the opposite sex, so they couldn't avoid feeling slightly awkward in presence of each other. But it was no time for awkwardness or shyness. It was time for science!

* * *

><p>The long streets of the Garnet Oriole didn't offer much in the way of entertainment. There was the occasional inn, sure, and the more morbid pokémon could even take a tour around the prison, but there wasn't much else of note.<p>

Of course, Kizuna cared little. Just walking through the mostly devoid streets of the Oriole was a good enough excuse to strike up a conversation with the other eons. But what should they talk about? Oh, but of course! There was this question lingering in her mind…

"Zephyr, Agni, do any of you like me?"

The mentioned eeveelutions gave Kizuna a stare that can't possibly be described with words, so I won't.

They must have misinterpreted her, Agni thought. She didn't have a way with words, after all. "Kizzie, you mean, like, platonically? As in friends?"

"No, silly. I mean romantically."

Okay, they hadn't misinterpreted her. Agni and Zephyr shared a brief look of confusion, unsure of how to answer. Even Scylla fired a confused gaze in her direction. "Kizzie, what's with that question? It's so… sudden and out of nowhere…"

"Master Tesla let me go with you guys only to warn Garm, but now that we've done that I'm not sure what will happen tomorrow. He might tell me to go back to the Observatory, and I want to make sure I've found a mate before that. So do any of you want to be my mate?"

She looked expectantly at the male eeveelutions, who looked as confused as before. This was starting to border on ridiculous, especially to Agni. "Let's see if I get this right. There's a criminal organization threatening to wipe out our most important resource, and you're more worried about getting a mate."

"Pretty much."

"Well, you can count me out."

"Ah, of course…" Kizuna closed her eyes and nodded to herself with a knowing grin on her face. "You're more interested in Scylla after all."

"No, I'm not."

"That's what someone who is interested in her would say!"

Agni sighed. Please, not this again. "It's also what someone who is _not_ interested in her would say."

"Ah? Then it doesn't matter what you say. Your words are meaningless! Why are you wasting your breath?"

If there was someone wasting breath, it certainly wasn't him, Agni thought. "I'm not interested in anyone. And aren't we too young to be thinking about mates, anyway?"

"Not _that_ young," Zephyr said. "I guess this is the kind of things we should start considering."

His cousin gave him a befuddled look. "Don't tell me you…"

"I said 'start considering', I'm not going to suddenly jump at anyone, at least not yet. But, Kizzie, why would you want a mate if there's the possibility you're leaving tomorrow?"

"Once I leave for the Observatory I won't be back for who knows how many years," she explained. "If I want to get an eeveelution mate, I must find one now that you four are all still mateless. After I come back from the Observatory in many years, you all might have found mates already, and I kinda prefer to be with another eeveelution if possible."

'You four'? The Sylveon was presumably talking about Agni and Zephyr, present here, and probably also the Umbreon and the Espeon in the other team. But why was she talking as if they were the only male eeveelutions around? While everyone arrived to that question, Scylla was the one to ask it. "But there are more eeveelutions other than them four. Why does it have to be one of them?"

"Uh? No, there are no more eeveelutions." Kizuna's statement drew perplexed stares from the three listening pokémon. This deserved a more in-depth explanation. "I mean, yes, there must be more eeveelutions and Eevee living outside the Heptagonal Ring, but inside the Ring there's only seven. You three plus the four you met at the Calandra."

"That'd be eight with you," Zephyr noted, in a monotone stunned voice.

"I'm technically not a citizen of the Ring… but, yeah, I guess that's eight and not seven."

Scylla thought about what she had just said. An Eevee could only be born of a mother of the same species or a Ditto, and given how uncommon Ditto were in the Ring… "Wait, are you saying all of our mothers are dead?"

"Yup, they are. And Zephyr's father too, since he was a Glaceon."

That came as even a bigger surprise. All their mothers were dead? Scylla already knew hers was, and Agni and Zephyr already knew about theirs and each other's, as well as the Leafeon mother of Ivy and Safira that Kizuna had told them about the previous day, but the rest was a surprise. Even Skoll's and Lumis'? And to top it off Kizuna hadn't been exactly tactful about it either, she was still beaming wide.

Her smile turned upside down when she noticed their gloomy reactions. Had she been too blunt? Argh, why did social interactions have to be that hard? This is not how she imagined things would go back at the Observatory! "Er, have I been too harsh? If so, sorry…" It's not like they were going to cry, but they evidently didn't enjoy being remembered about their deceased mothers. "I'm sorry. I guess I don't entirely understand what it feels to have a mother. Or any family…"

There was no point dwelling in the past, they had already lived for many years without their mothers, they wouldn't start getting sad now. Plus, what Kizuna had just said made them think.

Didn't she say she had been raised solely by the yellow spider? Then what about her parents? Did she even have them? And how did she even join the chroniclers in the first place? There were still too many things they didn't know about the chroniclers.

Why not just ask? Scylla would be the first to enunciate her queries. "How do you even join the chroniclers, Kizzie? Are you like… born there in the Observatory or something?"

"Uh? No, I'm born like anyone else. You see, when a daddy and a mommy love each other very much–"

"Yes, we know the theory, thank you," Agni quickly cut her off. "But after you're born, how do you join the chroniclers? Do they come get you or…?"

"Something like that. The Doyen knows whenever a pokémon with eidetic memory is born, and sends a chronicler to recruit the newborn cub into our ranks."

"Doyen?" Zephyr repeated, wondering who that could be.

"Ah, the Doyen is our boss, the head of the chroniclers."

"Wait, I'm not sure I understand," Agni said, scratching his chin. "How do the chroniclers do the 'recruiting', exactly? Do they, like, steal the babies?"

"What? Heavens, no!" Kizuna started to flail her bows left to right. "They just talk about it to the parents, and the parents always accept."

"Why…?"

Kizuna brought on of her feelers to her mouth, covering it, and started to poke it gently. Wasn't she giving them too much information? No, it's not like the chroniclers kept this secret or anything. And she liked how they were asking things about her, after all. "Raising a kid with eidetic memory is not easy. It's, uh, our brains develop differently to other pokémon's, if we receive too much or too little information at different stages of our lives our brains could be severely damaged. That's why it's highly recommended that an expert chronicler raises the younger ones, as otherwise their lives could be at risk."

That seemed to make sense to them, more or less, although they didn't entirely understand why the brain of a pokémon with perfect memory would be that different from a normal one, to the point of putting the life of the pokémon at risk. But hey, she was the chronicler here. She should know more about this than them, they'd have to take her word for it.

"You know who your parents are, right? Since you have perfect memory," Scylla said. "Maybe you could, I don't know, go look for them or something?"

"Nope, I don't remember who my parents are," the Sylveon answered.

Did the pokémon with the perfect memory just say there was something she didn't remember? Agni raised an eyebrow. "How can you possibly forget anything? Wasn't your memory eidasomething?"

"Eidetic. We might be born with this kind of memory, but it doesn't manifest in our early years, I told you our brains develop differently. For instance, my perfect memory only started to show up in my early teens."

"But you're still a chronicler with access to the Observatory," Scylla noted. "Isn't the Observatory supposed to register everything that happens? Isn't the event of your birth registered?"

Kizuna shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid not. The Observatory seems to have problems registering events that have to do with pokémon with eidetic memory, for some reason."

Zephyr was still thinking about what she had said before, about the possibility that she had to leave. He still didn't quite understand why. "Wait, I can understand you need to be under the care of the chroniclers in your early years, but you are an adult – young adult now. You're no longer at risk, are you? What exactly forbids you from just leaving the Observatory?"

"Um, nothing. I could leave at any time I wanted, just like Naamah did," Kizuna explained. "But like I just said, the Observatory has problems registering events that have to do with chroniclers. It'd be a chaos if there were many chroniclers walking around the Ring! The Observatory would fail to register almost anything!"

She briefly pondered about the consequences of the Zoroark Naamah leaving the Observatory. Even if she wanted to call herself an 'ex-chronicler', her memory was as eidetic as Kizuna's, which meant her mere presence in the Ring may impair the Observatory. Could that be the reason the Observatory had been malfunctioning for the last seven months? No, that couldn't be, a single pokémon shouldn't have that much of an effect.

"Also, it goes against the golden rule of the chroniclers: no intervention. We aren't allowed to communicate with citizens of the Ring under normal circumstances, unless it is completely justified." Of course, any conversation she held with them was completely justified in her eyes.

"What's the point of that rule?" Zephyr wondered. "I feel like all it does is isolate you for no good reason. Why can't you talk to us citizens?"

She lowered her head, keeping her gaze on the Jolteon. "Because we consider that might be a bit… unfair to citizens."

Zephyr slanted his head, not understanding what she meant. Agni proceeded to explain what he thought it meant. "I think she's talking about, well… I mean, they know _way_ too much about us, don't you think? Don't you find it a bit… creepy, that someone you haven't met knows almost everything about you?"

"Y-Yeah, basically," Kizuna admitted, not daring to raise her head. "I guess it's a bit… creepy, like you say."

"I wasn't necessarily referring to you. Although now that you mention it… uh, if you went back to the Observatory you could, like, look up any info you wanted about us, right? For instance, what we thought about you."

"I could, I guess." Given the recent state of the Observatory, though, she couldn't guarantee it.

"Yeah, that's what I meant. That sounds a bit… well…"

Agni turned his head away from her, not sure of how to end his phrase without hurting her feelings. Even Scylla and Zephyr seemed to be at a loss for words, staring at each other mutely. Kizuna fired quick glances at all of them, noticing their uneasiness.

"But, uh, I promise I won't do that, okay? Pinky promise! And that holds even more value when it's said by a pink pokémon!"

Agni heaved a sigh. That was nice of her, but… "It's not about whether you will do it or not, it's the mere fact that you can do it at all that puts us at a great disadvantage."

"B-But I promise that – You don't believe me, Agni?" She looked like she could cry any moment, although that wasn't actually the case. The Sylveon was just horribly disheartened.

"I _do_ believe you, but… ugh…"

"C'mon, Agni. Cut the girl some slack." Zephyr slowly walked towards Kizuna and, much to everyone's surprise, gave her a sudden hug, which the Sylveon more than gladly accepted. "She already said she wouldn't abuse her chronicler powers. Isn't that enough?"

"I guess…" Never mind that, there was something else that worried the Flareon much more. "Hey, you should get away from her. Cute Charm, remember?"

"Don't care." The Jolteon hugged her even tighter, as if to spite his cousin. "C'mon, you're treating her like she had Pokérus."

Kizuna didn't miss this chance and started to pass her feelers between his neck spikes. "Pokérus is actually a benign virus that doubles your EV gains, but whatever. You can say anything you want as long as you are dispensing hugs."

Agni stared at them dumbfounded. Dear Entei, what a pair of idiots. "Well, it's your life. If you want to ruin it, that's your choice."

Kizuna started to caress his stubby tail with one of her bows, feeling quite bold. "Hey, Zephyr, does this mean you want us to be ma–"

"Er, not so fast, Kizzie." The Jolteon took a single step back, breaking the hug and drawing a complaining moan from the Sylveon. "I like you and all, but not like that. Or at least not… Look, what I mean it's that it's a little bit too soon to be… mates."

They couldn't possibly be mates. He had only known her for three days, four if he counted their fortuitous encounter at the Calandra's Haecceity the night Naamah attacked. That wasn't enough time to know her, although so far he didn't dislike her. In fact, he thought she was rather nice, even if a little ditzy, which he didn't quite mind either. Plus, she was a pretty beautiful specimen, with really cute ears and lovely eyes. And those bows were so soft, he couldn't help but remember how good they felt around his fur and…

Wait, stop. Think of cold things. Regice. Articuno. Glaceon. But, like, not a cute female Glaceon, more like an old male Glaceon glaring at him with a disapproving look in his eyes. Like his deceased father. His father looking at him and saying 'Son, what the hell do you think you're doing, don't make me go there'.

Okay, done.

"You have to understand that this is all a bit sudden, Kizzie. Maybe, if you give me some time, I could think about it."

"Oh, but of course, Zephyr! You have until tomorrow."

"Er… Can't it be more than twenty-four hours?"

"I wish, but there's the chance I'm leaving tomorrow." Of course, Kizuna would do anything she could to prolong her stay. She didn't want the festival to be her last day at the Ring. "And if you're not interested in me, I want to know so that I can start deciding between Lumis or Skoll. Since Agni only has eyes for Scylla."

Agni was going to complain, predictably, but it was Scylla herself who ended up speaking. "Kizzie, enough is enough." Her tone was stern but kind. "You know he doesn't like those jokes."

"Geez, okay, okay." At least Zephyr hadn't explicitly said 'no' before. And in spite of what she had just said, there's no way Kizuna would just allow herself to go back to the Observatory just like that. She'd manage to convince Tesla to let her stay, even if she had to beg for it. Right now, she only cared about spending time with the others. "Hey, where do we go now? Oh, I know! Let's visit the prison!"

Agni squinted his eyes. "Kizzie, what the hell, we're not going to a prison."

"Then let's go somewhere else! Anywhere! C'mon!"

Kizuna darted off in a random direction, and the rest of eeveelutions had no choice but to follow her. They had a nice day in the Oriole, but they made sure to go to bed early, in one of the many hostels in the node. After all, the famed festival commemorating the 7777th anniversary of the Heptagonal Ring would be the next day, and they wanted to be well rested to enjoy it to its fullest.

* * *

><p>Ivy launched a flurry of sharp leaves against a short patch of grass in front of her, resulting in her own leaves ripping away some of the protruding weeds. She smiled at herself. Good job.<p>

"So you have a vendetta against tall grass now?" Skoll approached her from behind, making her turn around with a little yelp of surprise at his sudden appearance.

"Uh? No, I'm just training a bit. I don't really have anything else to do."

"Mind if I join?"

"Um. No, I guess I don't." Training alone was pretty boring, after all. "But I hit hard. You saw me yesterday against your friend and the lion."

Skoll remembered their last day at the Cerulean Warbler, and their training session with Vetr and Minos. He had to admit, Ivy had shown she was quite the decent fighter, but of course she was still not a professionally trained battler like him. "Hah, I'm pretty much a contention wall, Ivy. You can hit me all you want and I'll barely feel a thing."

"Oh, you think?" Ivy slowly walked to him, puffing her chest out and grinning confidently. Was he challenging her? He'd do well not to underestimate her. "Now I think about it, we never got to fight each other yesterday, now did we? What you say about a quick spar battle?"

He chuckled softly. "I'm waiting. Go on, hit me."

The Umbreon just stood there in front of her eyes, unmoving, starting at her with a cocky smile. Was he really gonna take a hit just like that? He wasn't taking her seriously, and that was something that Ivy really didn't like. Time to show him how big of a mistake he was committing by underestimating her skills. "Razor Leaf!" she shouted, and then hurled a hurricane of leaves straight against the Umbreon, who didn't make any efforts to avoid it. Once the pointy leaves started impacting against his body, he let out a weak, almost imperceptible grunt and took a single step back in response. His face didn't show any kind of winces, he looked just as chirpy as before receiving the attack.

He laughed, removing with his paw a leaf that had become caught in one of his ears. "Really, Ivy, I've been trained for defense. You don't have to hold back."

"Mmh." It's not like she wanted to hurt him or anything, but her last attack didn't seem to have had any kind of effect on the Umbreon. At least he hadn't assumed that was the extent of her power, or that would have made her really angry. "Okay, I'll hit you harder, get ready. Razor Leaf!" Again, she unleashed a leafage storm, this one being somewhat more violent than the previous one. This one advanced so fast that Skoll almost jumped away by reflex at the last second, but he managed to keep himself on the spot at the end. This one was certainly stronger, but it still couldn't significantly damage the Umbreon. He did have to close his eyes to avoid any cuts that could impair his vision, though.

Skoll laughed once again, this time louder. What the heck, that wasn't enough either? Was he made of concrete? Ivy was still holding back, but only a little. Her attacks could only get slightly more powerful than that.

"Hey, not half bad, Ivy."

But she could still –! Oh wait, had he just praised her? All's good then. She tried to scratch her chest in the most casual way possible. "Well, but of course. I beat the crap out of that lion yesterday, didn't I?" She would have sworn that the Luxray had gone easy on her, though. But, no, that was most likely her imagination.

"Although he kinda went easy on you."

Oh, it turns out it wasn't her imagination, much to her chagrin. "Ah… yeah, you noticed it too? Both he and your friend… Heh, I guess I don't look too threatening, uh?" She forced the fakest smile in the world, trying to pass it as a joke.

"Hey now, Vetr didn't take anyone seriously, nor you, nor me, nor the lion. If she had, someone would have been sent to a hospital at the Nightingale," Skoll said in an attempt to cheer her up. "And that lion… He didn't take Vetr seriously either."

"Yeah, he only took you seriously for some reason." Ivy had defeated Minos in a few of their mock battles the previous day, but she wondered if that would have changed if the Luxray had fought her without holding back. Would she have been able to defeat him, too? As much as she wanted to believe she would, deep inside she knew the Luxray was well above her level. And let's not even get started on the Weavile! The Umbreon was easily the closest to her in battle skill. "But are we gonna train or are we gonna chat? Razor Leaf!"

The suddenness of her attack caused Skoll to jump aside, away from the torrent of leaves that collided against the ground. "I've noticed you tend to call your attacks. I would recommend against that."

"Yeah, I know, but this is just practice."

"Maybe, but you don't want to make it a habit."

Ivy nodded, not paying it much mind. She knew it was a horrible habit for a battler, but it's one she'd had since she could remember. "Hey, aren't you gonna attack at all? Just defend?"

"Dark-types are not usually good at fighting directly, we're more prone to using tricks and whatnot. But if you insist…"

Skoll dashed to the Leafeon, lowering his head a bit. By the posture he was adopting while running, Ivy easily inferred what attack he was going to use. And that was mainly because it was one of the most common and easiest moves, Tackle.

Tackle…? Seriously, he was gonna Tackle her? What were they, recently hatched cubs? It was a very basic and simple attack, dodging it should be easy. Ivy just stared at Skoll silently as he approached her, ready to jump to a side once he was close enough. That should be enough to avoid such a rudimentary attack, and then she could even counterattack with a move of her own.

Finally, the Umbreon was right in front of her, lowering his head even further, clearly preparing to perform a Tackle. Ivy quickly jumped to her right, but while in midair, she noticed that Skoll had suddenly stopped in his tracks and was now jumping after her, managing to headbutt her flank and sending her rolling a short distance. While it didn't hurt much, it did shock her quite a bit. How in the world had Skoll reacted so fast, stopping his Tackle mid-move and redirecting his attack? He couldn't possibly – No, that's because it was never his intention to Tackle her. He was perfectly aware that she was going to dodge it, he had planned to do that from the beginning, there's no other explanation.

Skoll offered her a paw to help her get up, but she preferred to do it on her own. That show of stubbornness made Skoll smirk. "We dark-types like to call this one 'Feint Attack'."

"Feint Attack? Doesn't sound too honorable."

His smirk only grew wider. "Do I look like a fighting-type?"

He did look quite athletic and brawny, Ivy thought. But quadruped fighting-types were certainly uncommon. "And how did you know I was gonna jump to the right?"

"Your frontal right leg looked tense and was slightly flexed, a clear sign that you were going to jump to that side."

"Oh…" Ivy couldn't help but look mystified. All that just from looking at her leg? "So if I had pressed my left paw hard against the ground but then jumped to the right I would have fooled you, uh?"

"It's not that easy fooling a dark-type, Ivy," he said with a chuckle. "I would have noticed the musculature of your leg acting differently from how it would act for a natural jump."

Okay, he was now just boasting. There's no way he – Wait, let's just try him out, she thought.

"Think fast! Razor Leaf!" She pressed her left paw against the ground in an exaggerated manner, in a way that Skoll would clearly notice. Now, after what she had just said, Skoll would expect her to be faking her left jump and to end up jumping to her right. But what if she wasn't actually faking her left jump, what if she genuinely was going to jump to her left after all? She was trying to trick him into thinking he was being tricked, when such wasn't the case.

Skoll looked attentively at her legs. Not that he minded the sight. Her left leg was pressing too hard against the ground, but her right leg was way too relaxed. Even if she wanted to jump to the right, there's no way she could do it without first flexing her right leg a bit, so that meant she was actually thinking of jumping to her left. Clever girl. In order to avoid her Razor Leaf, all he had to do was run under her once she jumped, as the tornado of leaves wouldn't hit below her.

In a flash, Ivy jumped to the left and Skoll promptly ran below her. Easy. Now, if he were to jump up he could attack her by surprise, so he decided to do just that. As he looked up, he caught glance of the Leafeon's tail. That beautiful, green, leaf-like tail. That tail that was approaching his face worryingly fast.

He couldn't possibly do anything to escape the incoming hit. Sure, he could have done something like biting her tail and throwing her around to deflect her attack, but that would have harmed the Leafeon. She was not an enemy, there was no need for such hostility. Plus, it was just a leaf-tail, how much could it hurt

Once he received the impact, he felt quite a bit more pain than he had anticipated. Nothing serious, but he would have never expected a tail to hit as if it was made of steel, that was clearly some kind of combat move. But how had she reacted so fast, deciding not to use Razor Leaf in favor of this move in a spilt second? Unless, of course, she never intended to use Razor Leaf in the first place.

Ivy grinned in a silly manner, sticking her tongue out. "Oops! I shouted 'Razor Leaf' but I used 'Leaf Blade' instead! What a silly mistake!"

Well, that confirmed it. She had intended to use this 'Leaf Blade' move from the beginning. Far from being angry, Skoll burst out laughing, finding it quite interesting. "Isn't that cheating, Ivy?"

"Says the dark-type." Ivy turned her gaze aside, trying to feign disinterest, but couldn't help but fire furtive glances in his direction. She hadn't hit him too hard, had she? Leaf Blade was an advanced technique and she feared she might have overdone it. "You are… I mean, you are fine, right?"

Oh, was she worried about him? The ring patterns in Skoll's body started to shine dimly. "I'm healthy as an Audino, don't worry. But that Leaf Blade of yours really was something, what does it do?" As a member of the Azure Nightingale, Skoll was also interested in the pursuit of knowledge, although the kind of knowledge he liked to gather was solely battle-related.

"Leaf Blade is the name given to a plant-type technique that hardens leaves in the body of the user, to the point where they become like steel swords. The technical explanation was something about… strengthening the palisade mesophyll or something…"

"Oh, cool." Skoll nodded his head a handful of times, trying to keep a stoic expression. She just made half of those words up, didn't she? "But aren't you a merchant? Why would you need to know this kind of advanced moves?"

"Precisely because I am a merchant. I need to be able to defend our merch."

"Why not just contract defenders?"

"We usually do that too, but it doesn't hurt to be able to defend yourself anyway. I'll be the future leader of the Beryl Calandra, after all. It pays to be well prepared. Now, how about we resume our battle? Where did we leave off? Ah, yes, I was winning…"

"But not for long." Skoll grinned devilishly. Vetr had always been out of his league, and that Luxray from the previous day seemed a little bit too fierce against him. But Ivy? While she was less experienced than him, she seemed to be quite sly when fighting, which is something he liked in an opponent. Made battles all the more interesting and enjoyable.

Lumis and Safira would presumably end their work in a few hours, but until then Skoll and Ivy could spar against each other to pass time.

* * *

><p>"Now rotate it to the left, sixty degrees. Or would you prefer it if I spoke in radians?"<p>

"Um, no, degrees are fine."

Safira opened her mouth and let out a soft, cold breeze that entered the base of the machine, making some small particles inside twist around. She kept up the chilly flurry for a short while, her eyes carefully watching the particles slowly turning around, until the Espeon ordered her to stop.

"Okay, good." Lumis lowered his head to get a better look at the inside of the machine. Once he raised his head back up, a smile was apparent on his face. "With this, we've already reconstructed half of the inner core structure. Should we take a short break?"

"Mmm. Okay." It's not like Safira was tired, but since he offered…

"So… you have worked with this kind of particles before, right?"

Wait, he wanted to talk? She shouldn't have accepted to take that short break. "Um… Yes…"

"Ah? You have?" For a moment Lumis had wondered if she was some kind of super-genius, since she seemed to learn unnaturally fast, but this made more sense. She was good at it only because she had done it before. "When? Or where?"

At least the cat wasn't talking about the weather. Although nobody on the Heptagonal Ring ever talked about the weather, for it was a perpetual sandstorm. Still, Safira would have preferred if he had just stayed quiet. "As a merchant… well, um, many of our goods are compounds of Adamantium or technologies based on it, so I… get to play with it, I guess."

"So you're self-taught, then?"

Aaaargh. Why was he making so many questions anyway? "Y-Yes…?"

The Espeon stood silent for a handful of seconds, thinking. Much to Safira's relief he wasn't looking directly at her, he was instead staring at the machine. After a short silence, Lumis finally spoke. "I've worked with trained professionals less apt at this than you. You have at least some talent, maybe if you received some formal training…"

Hold on, did he just say she had talent? This guy was an actual researcher from the Azure Nightingale. A researcher was praising her? Safira could feel her tail starting to wag gently. Maybe she didn't mind a little chat after all.

"Oh, sorry, that was… I mean, I'm sure you'll make a great merchant." Lumis forced a smile. The Glaceon belonged to the Calandra, after all, and was the younger daughter of its leader to boot. "It's just that, uh… we need ice, fairy and dragon-types to help us control dragon particles, but more than half of our researchers and scientists are psychic-types."

More than half? Indeed, Safira had heard that the Azure Nightingale was the most popular node amongst psychic-types, but she wouldn't have guessed the percentage was so high. "Is your node… lacking pokémon of those types?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Lumis admitted with an awry smile. "Dragon-types typically prefer to be defenders, whether at our node or at the Cerulean Warbler, and fairy-types tend to migrate to the Lilac Kiwi here. Ice-types are the ones who most commonly stay at our node as scientists, but they don't even reach the five percent of our total researchers."

"Oh, my bad…" She remembered the Flygon they had met at the Nightingale, which was surprisingly a dragon-type. He was, indeed, a defender. There was also Vetr, the ice-type Weavile who had moved to the Warbler, also a defender. Even Skoll was a defender! Safira had actually met more defenders than scientists from that node, even though research was supposed to be the node's forte. In fact, how many of the Nightingale's researchers had she met? Just Lumis. And maybe Soren. Was the Serperior even a scientist? Given he was the leader of the node, she guessed he probably was.

"In fact, I briefly considered evolving into a Glaceon back when I was an Eevee, just because it would have helped me interact with dragon particles." Lumis' comment made the Glaceon's ears perk up. "But I ended up settling for an Espeon because, well, psychic-types and all."

Now she felt a bit silly. He had considered the Glaceon evolution because of its potential in the field of research, but Safira had evolved into one merely because they looked the cutest, at least in her opinion. Well, different reasons, all perfectly valid.

"We actually have the highest concentration of defenders among all nodes, around a forty percent," Lumis explained. "Not counting the Cerulean Warbler, of course, since all of its inhabitants are defenders."

Her eyes widened. Forty? "I wasn't aware your node was so short-staffed."

"I guess we aren't the most popular node," he said with a sigh. At least they weren't the least popular, that doubtful honor went to the Amber Crane. "It's not like what we do is the apex of fun."

Safira shook her head. "That's not true."

Lumis gave her a curious look and pointed to the machine by their side. "Uh? You don't find this we're doing tedious?"

"Um… I guess some parts could be considered a bit… dull, but I've found it mostly interesting." She'd had her doubts at the beginning, but thinking about it now, it had totally been worth it staying here with the Espeon repairing the machine. Safira had learned more in these few hours than she would have if she had stayed back at the Calandra's library these last four days. The Espeon certainly made a good teacher, if only because he was actually a researcher himself and knew what he was talking about.

"Well, that's… I'm glad to hear that." Even Skoll found his work boring. It was nice meeting a kindred soul for once. "Now, shall we go back to it?"

"Ah, sure," Safira said with a gentle nod. Well, that conversation could have gone worse. She hadn't minded their little chat as much as she initially thought she would have, but she had to admit she wanted to keep working with the machine, too.

With their efforts combined, it took them a total of little more than three hours to finish patching up the machine. While a professional ice-type researcher would have certainly done it in less time, Lumis still thought it was quite an impressively low time for a beginner. Most of his coworkers were older than him, so it was unusual finding someone not even a year younger than him with similar interests. Maybe he should have talked more to the Glaceon thorough their four-day travel, but too late. At least she lived in a neighboring node, it's not like he couldn't go visit. He didn't even need an excuse, he knew Skoll well enough to know that he would want to go see the sisters on his own, Lumis just needed to tag along.

For her part, Safira had had quite a good time working with the machine. And the Espeon was… tolerable. Maybe she could add him to her list of people not to be scared of, along with her sister, her father and the Scizor Higure.

It wasn't long until Skoll and Ivy met back with them, after a somewhat tiring session of training. After informing Sendoa that the machine worked again and promising to give it a quick check just before their show at the festival, just in case, the four eons booked up two rooms at a nearby hostel and called it a night. The long awaited festival would be just the next day! Although their anticipation made it hard to, they finally managed to fall sleep after a while.

The next morning, the seven entrances to the Conflux that allowed access from any of the nodes, Lilac Kiwi included, would once again be open. Just a quick walk through the passageways and they would finally arrive at the massive pseudo-node that was the Conflux, were the festival for the 7777th anniversary of the foundation of the Heptagonal Ring would be held.


	7. Amenity

Every year, the seventh day of the seventh month, all the inhabitants of the Heptagonal Ring would reunite at the Conflux, the Ring's center, to commemorate the day their ancestors chanced upon a reservoir of Adamantium in the middle of a desert and laid the foundation of the metropolis that would later come to be known as the Heptagonal Ring. It was a celebration no pokémon would want to miss, no matter what node they belonged to.

You were a worker pokémon from the Garnet Oriole or the Amber Crane? Then you'd want to go to the festival to relax and break away from your usual obligations. A brawler from the Cerulean Warbler? It was a place to meet fellow fighters. Maybe you're a pacifist from the Coral Sittella? Then you'd want to go there to make new friends. Or perhaps one of the Azure Nightingale's scientists? It was a place to test and see the newest technologies. What about merchants from the Beryl Calandra? It was an opportunity to meet buyers and sellers. And lastly, if you belonged to the Lilac Kiwi, well, it was a party, what other reason would you need? Whatever their reasoning, few pokémon wanted to miss such an anticipated event.

But that was not all, no. For this year, it would have been 7777 years since the seven ancestors founded the Heptagonal Ring, making it all the more special. So feel free to go pick some popcorn and some juice of your favorite berry flavor, because this part will surely be–

Ugh, sorry, you'll have to excuse this humble troubadour, for she sometimes goes on and on speaking and doesn't know when to stop. Ah, could it be something that comes with old age? Not that I'm old, mind you, I consider the 8000s to be the prime of life.

But look at me digressing again. What an ugly habit of mine, and how unbecoming of such an elegant pokémon such as myself.

Now, let us resume our tale.

* * *

><p>"Oh, dear Arceus! This is <em>sooooo<em> big!" Kizuna looked around with wide eyes, completely mesmerized by the sight. "The Conflux is impressive!"

The pokémon by her side smiled at her, finding joy in her childish and innocent excitement, except for a Flareon, who raised an eyebrow at her. "Kizzie, aren't you a chronicler? Shouldn't you know how big the Conflux is already?"

"I do." But of course she did. Heck, she could tell him the exact radius of the dome, as well as its volume, and any other tidbit of info he asked for.

But who the hell cared about anything of that anyway? Look at all those pokémon! Oh, isn't that a Krabby? It's so tiny! And there's also a Bellsprout and a Cacnea talking there! And look at that Beartic trying to impress an Ursaring! So silly! And what's that? A Druddigon trying to sell his wares? Well, best of luck!

Zephyr stared at the Sylveon, delighting in her cheerful glee. She might have been the oldest one of them, but she sometimes acted like the youngest. "So you like this place, Kizzie?"

"Sure I do, Zephyr! More than all the Pecha berries in the world!" Wait a second, _all_ the Pecha berries in the world? That was a ton of Pecha berries… but no, she still preferred this! Seeing all these pokémon reunited at the Conflux… nothing could possibly compare, sweet berry or not!

Wait, maybe 'nothing' was an overstatement. Some things could actually compare, like managing to find a mate or convincing her Galvantula tutor to let her prolong her stay at the Heptagonal Ring with the other eeveelutions. Talking of which, where was he? Tesla hadn't appeared yet. Did he forg – No, chroniclers don't forget. Well, the yellow spider would appear sooner or later, for the time being she should make the most of her time with Zephyr and Scylla and Agni.

"Let's go!"

"Where?" Zephyr asked, mildly amused.

"Everywhere!" As much as she liked the place, it was their company that made the whole event worthwhile. "C'mon, guys!"

"Uh… Kizzie, you remember what we talked about last night and this morning, right?" Scylla asked her, adopting the gentler tone she could muster, briefly caressing her bows with her mermaid-like tail. "I have a play in a few hours. I've avoided my troupe for long enough, I should go see them or they'll start to worry."

"A-Ah, right…" Kizuna already knew this would happen, but that didn't meant she liked it. Not that there was anything she could do about it, so she might as well force a smile. She couldn't have the Genteel Mermaid worrying before her big show, now could she? "W-We'll make sure to see your play, Scylla!"

"Ah, please do. It would make me very happy if you all came see me. It'll start in a few hours, at the big stage near the center of the Conflux." Scylla stared at the Sylveon's face. That smile… it was clearly a fake smile. It was easy for an 'actress' like her to detect faked facial expressions. "Don't worry, Kizzie, I'll be back with you guys after the show. And you still have Agni and Zephyr to keep you company until then."

"No, not me," Agni interrupted. "I'm gonna go search for my sister Opal, she must be somewhere around this place."

"Oh, then… just Zephyr."

"Just Zephyr?" That wasn't quite what Kizuna had envisioned, she had wanted to spend the day with all of them. If she were to be alone with Zephyr, then… Wait a tiny little… would that count as a…? No, no, it wouldn't be a date. That'd be silly. But anyway, it was better than being alone. "Well, okay then."

"I'll see you guys later!" And saying that, the Vaporeon ran away. Their show would start soon and she wanted to meet with her troupe beforehand for some quick practice. Hundreds, if not thousands of pokémon would be watching, she didn't want to let them down.

Seeing that the Vaporeon had left already, Agni thought it would be a good time for him to leave to. "Well, if you excuse me, now I'll –"

But a Luxray interrupted him. "Zephs, man, we need you at the Kernel."

"Minos?" It was a familiar Luxray, a friend from his node. Since Agni and Kizuna didn't kno – Since Agni didn't know him, he introduced them to each other. Manners. "That's Minos, a pal from the Cerulean Warbler. Those here are Agni, my cousin, and Kizzie, a friend."

"Hey, what's up?" The lion casually raised a paw to them, not giving them much mind. He kind of was in a hurry. "Look, I know this is sudden, Zephs, but one of the Hitmontop defenders that were supposed to be guarding the Kernel Ore today is ill, so we have to make turns to substitute him, and the guys said yours starts now. I hope this doesn't wreck any plans you had for today. It'll be just a few hours, you'll be free by the time the famous Kiwi's show starts, so no worries about that."

Oh, great. Now Zephyr had to leave, too? Kizuna didn't like the festival so much anymore. And as if that wasn't bad enough on its own, some of the Luxray's information was missing from the Observatory, just like that Floatzel from the Coral Sittella. That's not something she wanted to have to deal with today, so she just ignored it. That's a problem for another day, she thought, today we just party like crazy!

"What? Right now?" Zephyr wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it, as made evident by his tone of voice.

"Yeah, right now. Sorry about it, man." Minos dashed to the center of the Conflux, where the Kernel Ore was located. Had they called him there too?

Anyway, Zephyr would have to go after him soon. He didn't want to enrage his superiors, especially Zvonimir. A furious Noivern was scary. Well, any Noivern was scary, but more so a furious one.

"Ugh… Sorry about this, Kizzie. But you heard him, they need me to guard the Kernel."

Of course, the Kernel Ore was essential to the Heptagonal Ring, Kizuna knew that. They couldn't risk it with so many pokémon around, especially with the possibility of the Beacon appearing. And Minos said Zephyr would be back before the show began anyway, it wasn't that long of a wait. "Okay. Just make sure you think about what we talked about yesterday, okay?"

"What we talked about yesterday…?" What was she talking about? They had talked about the chroniclers, about how difficult it was to raise them… Oh, and they also talked about being mates. So there's that, too. "You don't seriously mean…"

"Answer me later, okay?" Kizuna wasn't going to leave for the Observatory yet, she was convinced of that. If it were necessary she would tie herself to the ground with her own bows, but there was just no way she was leaving so easily. But even then, she still wanted an answer, any answer. She would have to eventually return to the Observatory sooner or later, that was ultimately unavoidable.

"Uh… Fine…?" No, it wasn't fine at all. Zephyr left immediately for the Kernel Ore, but only because the conversation was making him a little too uncomfortable. Maybe some alone time was what he needed.

Agni just watched as his cousin left and the Sylveon stared at him blankly. Zephyr said he would come back later, didn't he? Then there was no problem. For the time being, he should go search for her sister.

"Well, Kizzie, I'm leaving now. We'll look for you guys later at that stage Scylla mentioned."

As the Flareon started to walk away, Kizuna glanced at him, unsure of what to do. Now that both Scylla and Zephyr were gone she would be all alone, and that wasn't part of her plans. Of course, there was still one obvious solution.

"Wait, Agni! I'm coming with you!"

Scylla would be busy preparing for her play and Zephyr with his defender obligations, but the Flareon had no excuse. Since he was just gonna go search for Opal, it wouldn't hurt him if Kizuna tagged along. That is not to say he was particularly joyful about it. "What? But…" But what could he say? He didn't have any reason to keep her from coming, and now that the other two were gone, he knew she wouldn't want to be left alone. "Ugh, do whatever you want. Except touching me."

Oh, her dreaded Cute Charm ability. Kizuna wasn't even aware she had that ability until she had come to the Heptagonal Ring. Still, all she had to do was keep her distance from the Flareon, it wasn't that bad. They could still chat just fine. "Neat! C'mon, let's go look for Opal!"

And with a sigh, Agni darted after the Sylveon that was now running in front of him.

* * *

><p>"So you're gonna go see that bird luchador guy?" Skoll asked to the Espeon by his side.<p>

"Yes, I promised them yesterday I'd give their machine a quick look before their play, just in case," Lumis explained, getting ready to leave. "It shouldn't take me that long. I'll join you again later to watch their show."

"Ah, okay then. I'll be with the sisters, just look for us, okay?" Skoll told the mauve cat, who nodded as he left.

Only after the Espeon had left did Ivy realize what Skoll had just said. "Ah? You're gonna stay with us?"

"Well, if Lumis is leaving… You don't mind, right?" Skoll gave her the most innocent smile he could muster, which didn't look innocent at all.

But, all things considered, Ivy didn't really mind. "Nah, I don't mind. You don't either, right, Saf?"

Safira stared at her sibling blankly, thinking of what to say. Truth be told, she was a little tiny bit scared of the Umbreon, but as long as she was with her sister everything should be all right. "Um, no, I don't mind. But, um, aren't we gonna look for dad?"

Ivy's eyes widened when she heard her sister mentioning their father. Didn't they promise him they would meet again here at the Conflux for the festival? They should go look for him posthaste! "Yeah, you're right. You're coming with us, right, Skoll?"

The Umbreon looked to the ground, suddenly not feeling so thrilled. He didn't have anything against their father, and the Linoone actually seemed like a decent guy, but he would still have preferred to be alone with the girls, and maybe Lumis. Or any of those other eeveelutions they met at the Calandra, like the Sylveon chronicler and the other three. But getting one of their parents into the equation… didn't sound like the most fun of ideas.

Ivy noticed his hesitation. "Hey, we're just gonna say 'hi' to him and then we'll leave. We're not gonna spend the whole festival with him or anything."

"You ain't hearing me complain." It did relieve him to hear that, though. So after a few hours with their father, Lumis would be back and the four of them would be together to see the anticipated Lilac Kiwi's show. That sounded more like a plan.

But while the Umbreon had no complaints, an insectoid pokémon did.

"Skoll." His stern, rugged voice was enough to make all of them twist their heads in his direction, catching sight of an imposing Flygon. It was one the girls had already met back at the Azure Nightingale, Jormund. "Skoll, it deeply pains me to have to inform you of this, but we require of your immediate assistance for guarding the Kernel Ore. At such a crowded event, we cannot allow ourselves the luxury of leaving it unprotected."

"Protecting the Kernel?" It's not like Skoll hadn't done that before, but did it had to be right now, in the middle of the festival? "Wasn't any pokémon designated for that task beforehand? Dude, those guys suck at planning more than a hungry Lickitung."

Jormund nodded with a solemn expression in his face, not landing on the ground at any point. "Yes, we had assigned a Hitmonlee from our node for vigilance, but he had unfortunately fallen ill, so we're taking turns substituting him. Yours should only last for a few hours. If you're worried about missing the famous show that the Lilac Kiwi had prepared for today, I can guarantee your turn will end before that, so you will not miss it."

"Damn, does it have to be now?"

Jormund landed and looked upwards, deep in thought. "My turn begins later, so we could swap them. That, however, would mean missing that spectacle."

Skoll heaved a sigh. Well, damn, he wasn't giving him much of a choice. "If I go now, I'll have the rest of the day free to relax around the festival, right?"

"Naturally."

"Argh, okay then." Having to work at the most popular festivity in the Ring? Well, screw you too, life! But there was no point in getting angry, especially since none of the pokémon present were at fault. It was all because of some stupid illness, damn. "Ivy, Saf, you heard the dragon. You'll go see the Kiwi's show, right? I'll see you there."

Ivy nodded. Oh well. "Ah, fine." They would meet later anyway. All it meant was she'd get to have some alone time with her sister and her father. "Look for us later at that big stage, yes?"

"You got it, cream eyes."

The sooner he got there, the sooner he would get to leave, right? Skoll wasted no time and followed after the Flygon, giving a last look back to the sisters and waving to them before he left.

After this, Ivy and Safira were left alone. No point in loitering around. "Let's look for dad, Saf."

"Yes!" the Glaceon responded in a cheerful voice. She wasn't a fan of parties, but at least she would spend some time with her sister and father. It could have been much, much worse.

Their Linoone father wouldn't suddenly teleport to their side, so they started looking for him. The Conflux was big and filled with pokémon, but he would most likely be near the access that communicated the Conflux with the Beryl Calandra. It shouldn't take them long to get there.

* * *

><p>The Conflux was bigger than any node, so looking for anyone was quite an ordeal. Fortunately, Agni knew that his vulpine sister would come from the Amber Crane, so he and Kizuna decided to check the Crane's entrance first. If Opal wasn't around there, she couldn't have possibly gone too far.<p>

They found the Ninetales relaxing alone after a short search, lying on the ground near a bunch of other coworkers Agni recognized from the Amber Crane. Agni raised his voice to get her attention. "Opal, I'm here!"

The Ninetales raised her head only slightly, enough to see the source of the voice. Not like she hadn't recognized the voice, she was well used to it. "Hey, Agni. What's up?" She waved at him to come closer, although he was already walking to her by the time she did. "I see you're with… Kizzie, was it? So how many times has my brother complained through your travel?"

"126!" Kizuna cheerily answered.

Opal stared at her dumbfounded for a second before bursting out laughing. "Ha… You're a funny one." Kizuna didn't quite understand her reaction. That was the exact number of times Agni had complained. "Hey, where are Zephyr and that Vaporeon from the Kiwi, Sc… Scylla?"

"Scylla left to prepare for her play and Zephyr had to go defend the Kernel Ore," Agni explained to her. "So they left me with Kizzie here."

Opal closed her eyes and grinned to herself, slowly getting up. "Thank goodness you explained why you are alone with her, because my mind was already entertaining other reasons."

"Seriously, Opal?" Agni leered at her sister, with the kind of glare a Munchlax would throw at someone who just ate his favorite meal. "Not with someone with Cute Charm."

"W-Wait, her ability is Cute Charm?" Opal gave Kizuna a blank, astounded stare, her eyes wide as those of a Bronzor. "O-Oh, I see…"

Kizuna's eyebrows lowered. Her too? What was with everyone and Cute Charm? Was it really that bad?

Noticing her reaction, Opal immediately adjusted her attitude to try to improve the Sylveon's mood. "But there's nothing wrong with that. As long as you take care not to physically contact any males, all should be fine." After all, it wasn't her fault that her species had that ability, Opal wouldn't ostracize her just for having chosen to evolve into that form. "You're not being unfair to her, right, Agni? Not every pokémon with that ability is a monster who abuses it for their own benefit."

"I know, I know…" Agni said monotonously. "Really, I have nothing against her. As long as she keeps her distance."

Kizuna smiled sourly. It was better than nothing, she guessed.

Since the topic of conversation wasn't to anyone's liking, Opal decided it would be wise to change it. "Hey, Kizzie, what node are you from?"

Both eons gulped in unison at the Ninetales' question. Obviously, Kizuna couldn't allow herself to answer sincerely without giving away her identity. "My node…?"

"Yes. Scylla said she was from the Kiwi, but I think you never told me yours."

Time to think fast. "I'm… from…" C'mon, just say any node, the first to come to mind. "I'm nodeless!" Well, that could have gone worse.

"You're nodeless…?" Opal eyed her with open curiosity. The concept of a 'nodeless' pokémon wasn't foreign to the inhabitants of the Heptagonal Ring, but these nodeless mons were usually strong travelling wayfarers and hardened explorers. She would have never guessed this soft-looking pink creature was one of those. "Well, aren't you something."

She bought it? Thank goodness!

After talking to her, they found out that she was also waiting for the Kiwi's show to start, and that she didn't even know Scylla would be a part of it. They spend a bit of time chatting to help assuage the wait, although none of the conversed topics was of transcendental importance.

* * *

><p>The Kernel Ore was a massive seam of Adamantium located near the center of the Conflux, with the shape of an immense spike or barb made fully of Adamantium. It was the only place in the desert where Adamantium was known to grow naturally, and was thus the source of all Adamantium in the Heptagonal Ring. That explained its importance and why it was so imperative to assure its protection, as it was vital to the functioning of the Ring as a whole. Garm, leader of the Garnet Oriole, had taken measures to ensure it would remain protected through the duration of the whole festival, but unfortunately some of the assigned guardian pokémon had fallen ill, and thus some defenders had to hastily act as replacements.<p>

Zephyr was one of these pokémon, much to his chagrin. He had just arrived to the Kernel Ore following a Luxray, who didn't look any happier. "Dude, I don't like this either, but someone has to do it. It'll be just for a little while, other defenders will relieve us later."

"I know, Minos, but that doesn't make it any more bearable." It's not as if it was difficult or anything, it was just guard duty after all. As long as no criminals appeared, there should be no problem, and no criminal would be mad enough to want to attack the Kernel Ore. Except for the Beacon, maybe.

He looked around, trying to distract his mind with anything, but all he could see were multiple pokémon having fun at the festival. It didn't exactly help matters. He also noticed a big green insectoid winged creature, which he presumed to be a bug-type, flying towards them, or rather towards the Kernel Ore. Was he here to protect it too? What's more, a familiar four-legged black creature was trailing after him.

"Hey, Skoll!" Zephyr yelled, waving to the newcomer.

"Oh, you're that Jolteon, um…" What was his name again…? It started with an L!

"Zephyr."

Yeah, that. "Hey, good to see you again, man. Oh, and I see… the lion is here too." And what was the lion's name? Something starting with an R, that's for sure… "You two pals or something?"

"Yup, we're from the same node," Minos explained.

Ah, of course. The Jolteon said he belonged to the Blue Warbler too, right? Just like the lion and Vetr. Hey, maybe he knew Vetr too? They all were in the same node after all. "Hey, Zephyr, you know Vetr?"

Zephyr lowered his head for a brief moment. Yes, that name definitely sounded familiar. "A Weavile? Yeah, I might've seen her a few times, and even brawled against her. Friend of yours?"

"Born at my node," Skoll explained, causing a surprised shriek in the Jolteon.

"That's… the Azure Nightingale?" Zephyr just had to stop to analyze the situation. The Umbreon said he was a defender from the Nightingale, didn't he? Then Vetr was born there too? The Weavile definitely didn't seem like traditional scientist material, she was easily one of the best fighters he had ever traded blows with. He fired a quick glance to Minos, who didn't look any surprised. He already knew, then? "So she was born at the Nightingale but moved to the Warbler? Then just like me, I wasn't born at the Warbler either, but at the Amber Crane."

"Or me," Minos added. "Coral Sittella."

"Whew," Skoll whistled, amazed. The Orange Sittella was filled with pacifists, it was weird finding someone who was born there but was now a member of the battle-obsessed Warbler. But, hey, that's his choice, and Skoll found no reason to complain. "The Nightingale sent us, me and Jormund here, to protect this Kernel thing. You're here in representation of your node, I presume?"

"You got it," Zephyr said with a nod.

"A Hitmontop should be taking care of this, but he apparently fell ill," Minos explained.

"My bad." Jormund gave a polite bow to express his condolences. The electric-types actually hadn't even met this particular Hitmontop, though. "A Hitmonlee from the Azure Nightingale similarly fell ill, and our presence was requested to make up for his absence."

Zephyr raised an eyebrow. Two evolutions of Tyrogue ill of a sudden? No, wait, not just two. "A Hitmonchan from the Amber Crane also fell ill. That's why we had to be sent in his place during our last trade at the Beryl Calandra, remember?"

Skoll quickly nodded. Yeah, he remembered them saying something about an ill Hitmonchan during their last trip to the Green Calandra, back before they met the Sylveon chronicler, or even the Calandra sisters. "So three ill Hitmons at almost the same time? What's this, a fighting-type pandemic or something?"

"Ugh, don't even joke about those things, mate." Minos was violently shaking his head, as if trying to convince himself that it was impossible. He was almost shivering.

This wasn't a line of conversation anyone particularly wanted to follow, so any change to it would of course be welcomed. As for Zephyr in particular, there was something Minos had just said at the end of his last sentence that was still lingering in his mind. 'Mate'. Of course the Luxray didn't mean it in that sense, but still made Zephyr recall what Kizuna had told him earlier, which forced him to heave a sigh. Argh, he wasn't ready for this.

Dark-types tended to be quite perceptive, and Skoll was no exception. He noticed the Jolteon's sigh, and curiosity compelled him to ask. "Something wrong, spikes? We just have to stay here for a few hours, I think we'll survive."

"Nah, it's not that. It's…" It suddenly occurred to Zephyr that he wasn't comfortable talking about something like that with someone he had met like four days ago. "Mmh, never mind."

But Skoll wouldn't surrender so easily. Was he really trying to hide something from a dark-type? Ooooh, boy. He just had no idea who he was dealing with. Skoll knew the Jolteon left last time with the Sylveon, the Vaporeon and the Flareon, and had presumably spent most of his time with them, but now had to stay here defending the Kernel Ore away from them. Maybe it had to do with that? "Missing your pals?"

"No, I – Uh, yes, actually." Maybe that would make him drop the topic.

But no such luck.

Skoll could easily tell he was lying, but he still didn't know what the problem was. Not enough information to go by. Let's try inquiring some more… "But they're a cool bunch, aren't they? The Flareon was your cousin, right? Ar… Arsomething."

"Agni," the Jolteon corrected. Dear Zapdos, this Umbreon had a terrible memory for names. "Yeah, he's nice. A bit too serious, but not a bad boy."

Okay, he wasn't lying, as far as Skoll could tell. So it wasn't a family dispute, then? Oh, then it had to be about one of the girls! "And the Vaporeon and the Sylveon weren't half bad, by the way. That's some really good company you got, uh, you lucky bastard?" He intentionally talked in an overly suggestive manner, just to test his reaction.

"Haha, yeah…" He giggled nervously, drawing a questioning gaze from the Luxray. Time to get out of this, subtly. "So you're a defender like us, right?"

Not subtle enough. Zephyr was trying to redirect his attention, and that only meant Skoll was getting closer. Now just a last jab to determine which of the two females was the source of his disquiet. He thought of starting with Scylla, since he at least remembered her name due to her popularity. "The Genteel Mermaid is quite a sight, uh? Will she appear in that play later?"

"Ah, yeah, she said she would. She's quite a good performer, isn't she?"

"Wait, you guys know Scylla?" Minos laughed softly at the coincidence. "I've known her since she was a little Eevee. She was born at the Sittella too, just like me."

Zephyr nodded slowly. Yes, Scylla said she was born at the Coral Sittella back when they visited it, so it would make sense.

Whatever. The Vaporeon didn't seem to be what was unsettling him, Skoll thought. Was it the Sylveon, or something else altogether? He would have to be careful talking about that Sylveon without mentioning the chroniclers in front of Minos and Jormund, who knew nothing about them other than the myths everyone had heard. "And that Sylveon was really cute too, uh?"

"Kizzie? Y-Yeah, I guess."

Aha, gotcha! A nervous tick in the Jolteon's eye. Now to determine what was exactly his problem with the Sylveon. Unfortunately, Skoll was not one for subtleties. "You got some beef with the Sylveon or something?"

"N-No. We're fine, haha."

You needn't be a dark-type to tell he was lying. Most mons wouldn't look away shivering slightly and giggling timidly if they were telling the truth.

Even Minos found it a little suspicious. Who was this 'Sylveon' creature they were talking about? Context suggested they were talking about a female, so maybe… Yeah, not the first time he had seen this happen to the Jolteon. "Ah, don't tell me. Another rabid fangirl that can't take a no, uh?"

"What the hell…?" Zephyr briefly marveled at the lion's unintelligible trains of thought. "No, she's – I mean, we just…" He could desperately try to change the topic, which would have been painfully obvious, or he might actually talk about it with them. Maybe that's what he needed? Just talking about it? "Okay, let's say, for the sake of debate, that she was after me. Then what? What would you do?"

"That depends." Skoll's rings started to shine dimly, not because of the conversation, but because of the pride he felt for having managed to get the truth out of the Jolteon. "I mean, is she your type?"

Zephyr stared at him as if he had said something really stupid. What kind of question was that? "Um… no? You know, she's a fairy-type and I'm an ele –" Oh, oh, wait. Not that kind of type. Ooookay, he had misunderstood the question. Yes, then the question made much more sense. "Kizzie is, well… nice? I don't dislike her, at the very least."

The way Zephyr had said that made Skoll chuckle. "Then, dude, go wild!"

It was at that moment that Zephyr concluded that the Umbreon wasn't a good role model and that he should disregard his advice.

"Skoll, please, don't be so intrusive," Jormund scolded him. He didn't care much for the conversation, but the Umbreon was being too disrespectful, in his opinion. "You shouldn't meddle in other people's love affairs, they don't concern us."

Did he just say…? Zephyr violently shook his head. "Wait, wait, who's talking about love?"

Jormund stared at him for a second before closing his eyes. "My most sincere apologies, I had assumed wrongly."

Minos passed one of his frontal legs over the Jolteon's shoulder, in what seemed to be a half-hug of shorts. "C'mon, love is for idiots."

"Yeah, haha…" Zephyr forced a laugh, a good way to cover the silence while thinking about what to say. He couldn't fool himself, that white-furred Sylveon was one of the most interesting mons he had ever met, but he still had to decide whether that was a good thing. Plus, she had Cute Charm as her ability, and she was a chronicler… Ugh, too many problems. Maybe with more time he might have changed his mind, but as of now, if Kizuna were to ask him later he would have to answer with a 'no'. He just hopped this wouldn't have a negative effect in their relationship, whatever it was.

"I instantly believe you, man." Skoll wasn't particularly interested, he merely wanted to satisfy his own curiosity. "Now we just wait until they relieve us so we can go back to the party, and you to your fairy friend."

"You said it. I want out of here," Minos said, warily eying the Kernel Ore by his side, as if it were a prey eying a predator. "Seriously, this metal thing gives me the creeps."

"It's just Adamantium," Skoll said. "It's not suddenly gonna grow a mouth and eat you."

"Well, I still find it creepy."

They all stared at the Kernel Ore for a moment. It was imposing, certainly, but it was hard to understand how the Luxray could be scared of it. It was, after all, just a big pile of Adamantium, and it was their duty to defend it for the good of the Heptagonal Ring.

That said, they didn't want to stay guarding it for too long, there was a party they were missing. After a handful of hours, some other pokémon finally came to substitute them, letting them loiter around the place freely. Both eeveelutions decided they might as well go together. Why not? They got along just fine, what with their mutual love of battling. If possible, they wanted to reunite the whole team of eeveelutions, but the Kiwi's show would start soon, so time wasn't on their side. Maybe after the show?

* * *

><p>A Linoone and a Scizor. Well, that was easy. Ivy and Safira thought it would take them longer to find them, but as soon as they reached the area that served as an entrance to the Conflux through the Beryl Calandra, there they were.<p>

"Dad! Higure! We're here!" Ivy raised her voice slightly to get their attention.

As soon as Linze caught sight of his daughters, the Linoone rushed in their direction at a speed utterly uncharacteristic of someone of his advanced age. Before they knew what was coming onto them, they felt the strong grip of the Linoone's small arms hugging them. Or trying to crush their lungs, it wasn't clear to an outside observer.

After Linze released them from his clasp, much needed oxygen returning to their lungs, Ivy finally found the strength to speak up. "Agh, dad, we haven't gone to war or something!"

"You have no idea how worried I was." Although they were now free from his grip, he had now entered a kissing spree with their foreheads as its target. "There are so many dangerous criminals out there."

"And yet you're more of a hazard to us than any of them." Ivy tried to push his father away with a paw, but the small raccoon remained unmovable. How could such a small frame hold so much strength? "Really, dad, stop. We're also happy to see you, but stop."

"Well, okay, okay." With a groan, the Linoone finally accepted to stop pestering them. Not that he would ever consider that 'pestering'. He turned his face now to the Glaceon. "You're okay too, right, Saf?"

"Ah, of course." She gave him a smile and nodded to give her words more credibility. "We successfully sold those medicines to Mr. Zvonimir at the Cerulean Warbler. Well, Ivy did, anyway…"

"Nah, it was teamwork, Saf." Ivy gave her sibling a quick hug, bringing a smile to the faces of the Linoone and the Scizor nearby. Ivy might be the most experienced merchant of the two, but it's not like she considered her sister to be a burden because of that. "The trip was all the more fun because you all came."

"You all…?" Higure repeated Ivy's last words.

Linze had also noticed those words. Didn't his daughters go alone? "Did someone join you in your travel?"

"Um… Yes, we got some company." Ivy briefly pondered whether she should lie or not, but why should she? It's not like their father would get angry over something like that. If anything, it would soothe him to know they weren't all alone. "Remember the Umbreon and the Espeon from the Azure Nightingale that stayed home that night, the ones that had come to our node for commerce? We managed to catch up to them before they left and, for one reason or another, we ended up staying together for the whole duration of the trip."

"Oh, so you got some additional protection? That's good." Their father was as predictable as always, ever the worrier.

This annoyed Ivy slightly. She knew he did so out of love, he must have felt alone ever since their mother died, but it still irritated her that he didn't trust in their abilities. She hadn't been training with Higure all these years for nothing. "We found no outlaws, but I'm sure I could have handled them if we had, even without the help of those guys from the Nightingale."

"Self-confidence is always good, Ivy, but you mustn't let it grow into arrogance. That will make you blind to the dangers of the world," Linze said, adopting his most philosophy-esque tone. "I doubt not that you would have no trouble against a run of the mill burglar, but some of those criminals are quite – I mean, some even manage to evade the Garnet Oriole's police! And there are even some rumors about, uh, how do people call them again? Absol?"

"Absol…?" Safira absentmindedly repeated. Was he serious?

Higure sighed. "Linze, please don't go around saying things like that. That's most likely just baseless townsfolk gossip."

Ivy couldn't help but giggle innocently. Dear Shaymin, their father got scared for anything. "An Absol, seriously? C'mon, dad. That monster that causes catastrophes?"

Safira nodded. "They don't even exist, that's just the kind of thing you tell kids to scare them."

"Yeah, like, 'If you don't eat all your Aspear Berries, the Big Bad Absol will come and eat you!'." God, did she hate Aspear Berries. She didn't care how nutritive they were, they were just too damn sour.

"Indeed. Glad to see you're more reasonable than your father," Higure praised. "The Absol are just myths, like the Missingno or the chroniclers."

This comment made the sisters gulp. They knew the chroniclers were real, at the very least, but the Absol? That was ridiculous. A common, non-legendary species of pokémon capable of brining disasters wherever they went? It simply wasn't possible.

"Oh, I guess you're right. I just let my imagination fly sometimes…" Linze conceded the point. "But forget about that, we're at the 7777th festival! Have you come here to spend some time with your old man?"

"Uh… no, not really. We're just here to say hi, so…" Ivy raised a paw. "Hi."

Safira imitated her older sister. "Hi."

"Mmmh. Well, okay." Linze similarly saluted them with a paw. So they weren't gonna stay with him, uh? Aaah, they grow so fast…Now that they're older they'd want to be with their friends, like those Umbreon and Espeon they had mentioned before. Those… male… Umbreon and Espeon they had mentioned before. No, but he wanted to think he was a cool and modern dad, so he didn't care, or at least tried not to. Besides, he knew his daughters weren't stupid, they knew what they were doing. He certainly hoped so. "So you're gonna go back to your friends, then?"

"Yep," Ivy answered.

"You too, Saf?"

"Um…" Safira loved her father as much as Ivy did, but she still preferred to go with her sister. They could even meet Lumis later, and maybe also that Vaporeon, she seemed nice last time they saw her. "I think I'm going with Ivy."

"Oh, that's good." Linze had held a slight sliver of hope that she would have decided to stay with him instead but, no, this was actually much better. He couldn't help but feel that his younger Glaceon daughter might be a bit too sheltered, so meeting other mons would only mean her opening up. Their last year at the festival was the first one Safira had decided to go with Ivy instead of staying with him, so he was glad to see she would repeat that this year too. "Really, I'm just gonna be discussing boring political stuff with Higure, you won't be missing anything interesting. You'll have more fun going with your sister."

"But of course!" Ivy nuzzled her sister, glad that she was coming with her after all. That's what she had anticipated, but there was always the chance that Safira had decided to stay with their father instead. "Hey, let's go to the big stage and find a good spot! You're coming see the Kiwi's show too later, right, dad?"

"Mmmh. I'll consider it, if I have the time."

"Let's go then, Saf!"

The sisters started to walk in the direction the stage was located, leaving the Linoone and the Scizor behind, talking about their own matters.

* * *

><p>Lumis got closer to the machine to get a better sight of it, lowering his head to better analyze its inner core. Had the dragon particles moved since the previous day?<p>

"I see the ice-type lass isn't with you. Has something happened to her?" A Hawlucha by his side asked.

"No, she's perfectly fine." Now that he thought about it, shouldn't he have brought Safira here? If the machine had some kind of problem with its dragon particles, he wouldn't be able to do anything himself. But, no, since time wasn't on their side, if that happened it would be better to just contact a professional ice-type scientist from the Azure Nightingale instead. Plus, this was supposed to be a festival, how could he ask her to work in the middle of one? "It's just that, well, she isn't from our node."

"Oh, you're right."

The dragon particles fortunately seemed to remain in place. Whatever little dislocations they had suffered overnight were insignificant and should have no effect on the correct functioning of the machine. This brought a subtle smile to his face.

"So is everything alright?" Sendoa asked, hoping everything would be fine.

"Luckily, yes. You stored it in a cold place last night like I suggested, right?"

"Ah, yes, we did. Then will it be ready for our play today?"

"Yes, it's ready to use. Your guys know how to operate it, right?"

"Yes, yes, leave that to us."

"Good. Then my work here is done."

The Hawlucha extended one of his wing-arms towards the feline. "I'd like to thank you again for your assistance. Even if there was no problem with the machine after all, we still appreciate that you have taken the time to come examine it in the middle of the festival."

Lumis shook his paw with the Hawlucha's claw-like appendage. Fortunately, even though Sendoa was bipedal, he was still short enough so that a common-sized eeveelution could give him a handshake. Or pawshake. Or clawshake. Or whatever they called it.

A nearby Ludicolo also wanted to show him his thanks, although he did so much more effusively by dancing around the cat, who understandably wore a baffled expression on his face. "Muchísimas gracias, amigo! You're the best of the best of the best, muchacho!"

Lumis watched the Ludicolo dance around with awe, somewhat surprised that he could move with such swiftness in such a rotund body. It was about time Lumis left, and the Ludicolo's peculiar dance wasn't precisely convincing him to stay.

"Mr. Ludicolo, you're making him uncomfortable!" a female approaching voice admonished him. When they turned their eyes to the source of the voice, they saw a Vaporeon they all had already met before.

"Scylla!" If there were any doubts about her identity, they were dispelled when the Ludicolo screamed her name. He then ran to her. "You're back, Scylla! That makes me so happy, muy feliz!"

"Oh, Scylla, you're back. They told me you were gone," Sendoa said, giving the Vaporeon a polite reverence. "Good to see you're back."

Lumis stared at the Vaporeon for a brief second, wondering where he had seen her before. Ah, of course, she was that Vaporeon back at the Calandra. Wasn't she a famous performer or something? That would explain why other performers from the Kiwi would know her.

"Oh, your name was… Lumis, I think? Hey, it's good seeing you again." Scylla gave him a gracious, elegant bow. Maybe she was being way too well-mannered? From what she remembered the Espeon was as serious as Agni, maybe just a little less, so she didn't want to accidentally offend him.

"Ah, yes, my pleasure." Lumis also gave her a bow, although his was comparatively clumsier. After all, he was the only non-actor present. "The machine is now fully operative, but please contact me if it gives you any trouble."

"We shall," Sendoa said. "Then, we won't take more of your time. I understand you'll want to spend the festival with your friends."

"Ah, yes. Thank you." Lumis bowed down yet again. He was bowing a lot today, but everyone was so polite that he simply couldn't help it. Funny, since they were all from the Lilac Kiwi and that node had a fame of being rather… lax with its manners.

"You'll see our play, right?" Scylla asked the Espeon before he left. "Ivy wanted to see it at least. Not sure about the others." She found it a bit funny that, in a group of so many eeveelutions, only the Leafeon had seemed to be a fan of hers. Funny, or maybe sad, she wasn't sure.

"Ah, yes, we probably will." He was sure that Skoll at least would want to see it, especially if a female eeveelution would appear. Ivy too, since she seemed to like this kind of thing. "Now, I should probably go look for them."

"Yeah, I'll try to join with you guys after the play. Maybe you could try to look for Agni and the others too?"

"Agni?" Hearing that name made the Ludicolo's face light up. Even more than usual, I mean. "Ah, that's the name of your sweetheart, isn't it?"

Agni? Wasn't that the name of the Flareon Lumis had traded with back at the Calandra? So they were…? Well, no matter. Lumis wasn't the kind to comment on something like this. They were free to do anything they wanted, it was hardly anything of his concern.

Sendoa's surprise was more apparent, although he still retained his manners. "Oh, so you have found a… special someone? Good to hear."

"Y-Yeah…" Oh, dear Suicune. She had completely forgotten the lie she had told Mr. Ludicolo last time. "But, I mean, we're just getting to know each other. It's nothing serious or anything, so don't be surprised if we suddenly, I don't know, split up or something." She tried to sound convincing, and she managed to.

"But chica, those are just the typical lover quarrels!" The Ludicolo said, making her smile sourly. This wasn't working as she had expected. "Don't let that discourage you! Sé fuerte!"

This had little to do with Lumis. In fact, he was starting to feel a bit awkward in the middle of a dispute that didn't concern him. "Now, I should leave. Goodbye and good luck with your play." He gave them one last bow before leaving. Sweet Uxie, his neck was going to hurt from so much bowing after his.

"Yeah, make sure to have fun," was all Scylla said as she waved him off.

"And don't forget to watch our show, muchacho!" the Ludicolo said as the cat left, spinning around himself as his particular way to say goodbye.

Now that the Espeon was gone and the three members of the Lilac Kiwi were left alone, Scylla decided to remind them of their upcoming event. "Well, how about a little rehearsal before our big show?"


	8. Twister

Some pokémon from the Lilac Kiwi were already on stage, testing that everything was correct, although it would still be a few minutes before the show started. Ivy and Safira had already found a good spot where they could watch the play, and were impatiently waiting for it to start. Well, Ivy more so than Safira. She would finally get to see her idol on scene! Or at least, she hoped Scylla would be part of the play. But given how popular this event was, there was simply no way she would miss it, right?

While Ivy had her eyes glued to the stage, despite nothing interesting happening on it, Safira's eyes were darting around the many pokémon in the Conflux. Way too many. But there was a duo in particular that caught her attention: a Jolteon and an Umbreon. The Umbreon was clearly Skoll, and the Jolteon… Wasn't that the Jolteon they met back at the Calandra, the one that went with the Sylveon chronicler? Safira nudged her sister to get her attention and then pointed a paw to the two male eeveelutions.

"Oh, that's Skoll. But who's the Jolteon? He's familiar, have we seen him bef – Oh, wasn't he a friend of Scylla?" Maybe they were looking for them? She decided to call them. "Hey, Skoll! We're here!"

"Ivy! Saf!" Skoll quickly noticed the sisters and ran to them. The Jolteon followed after once he noticed the Umbreon running. "We were looking for you, girls! Waiting for the show, uh?"

"Yeah, it should start soon," Ivy said, confirming his suspicions. "Are you gonna stay here to watch it with us?"

"Probably." Skoll took a quick look around to see if he saw Lumis anywhere, but no luck. "We were looking for Lumis and for Zephyr's friends, but the show it's gonna start soon. I think we will miss it if we keep searching."

Oh, Zephyr, that was the Jolteon's name. Ivy knew his name started with a weird letter like a 'Z' or an 'X', but didn't quite remember exactly what it was.

"I guess we should stay, then. We can keep looking for them after the Kiwi's show ends," Zephyr said. "If… you don't mind me staying, of course."

"What? No, we don't mind, why should we?" Ivy shook her head. Why in the world would he think they would oppose to him staying? "Right, Saf?"

Skoll was one thing, she had been traveling and practically living with him and Lumis for four days after all, but she barely knew the Jolteon. Although perhaps precisely because of that, she felt like she was in no position to judge him. She'd have to trust him for the time being. At least, in spite of all those pointy spikes, he gave off an amiable vibe. "Y-Yes, of course."

"Good then. Now let's just wait until the Lilac Kiwi's show starts." Zephyr sat not far from them, and then Skoll did the same, although much closer to the siblings. "You were a great fan of Scylla, weren't you, Ivy?"

"Ah, yes. So she's gonna be in the play?"

"That's what she told us, yes."

Ivy smiled to herself. Great.

How long until the show started? No more than ten minutes, probably. They just had to wait for a little longer, and they decided to kill time in different ways. Ivy and Zephyr were talking about their respective travels, Safira was listening to their conversation, and Skoll was just glancing around bored. His face and rings started to light up slightly when his eyes set on a familiar face.

"Hey, Freya!"

At the sudden raise of his tone of voice, they all looked at the same direction Skoll was, noticing a Mienshao. The sisters had never seen one of their species in person, but the weasel-like creature seemed strikingly familiar to Zephyr for some reason. His face went sullen when the reason why dawned on him.

This Mienshao just stared at the Umbreon. "Oh, Skoll. I'm glad to see you, that I am." In contrast to her kind words, her face didn't seem to convey a joyous emotion. It's not that she looked angry or annoyed, mostly indifferent.

Her face, though, turned leery when she took notice of the pokémon beside Skoll, particularly the Jolteon. "I've seen that face somewhere before, that I have. Weren't you with that chronicler last time?"

'Chronicler'. The mention of that single word was enough to put them all in a state of alert. Skoll in particular seemed quite befuddled. "Huh?"

Zephyr approached the Umbreon slowly, his eyes affixed on the Mienshao. What did Skoll know her from? "Do you know her, Skoll?"

"Yeah, that's Freya, a friend from the Azure Nightingale," Skoll explained. Since they belonged to the same node, it wasn't much of a surprise that they would know each other. "What's the matter? What are you saying about the chroniclers, Freya?"

"That yellow spiky critter over there." Freya pointed to the Jolteon, as if her description wasn't specific enough. "He's allied with a chronicler."

Yes, he was, they knew that. Freya must have been referring to that Sylveon chronicler, Kizuna. The question was how she knew and why did she look like she had a problem with it.

Zephyr dispelled their doubts with a simple revelation. "She's with the Beacon."

The Beacon? Naamah's Beacon? Ivy moved in front of her sister, a bit worried about what this presumed delinquent might do to them. It's not like they were directly allied with the chroniclers, but since Zephyr was by their side it would be easy for the Mienshao to make such an assumption.

On his part, Skoll was just glancing between Zephyr and Freya over and over again, trying to process the information he had just received. Freya, an integrant of the Beacon? The same group that had attacked the Calandra, the one that Zoroark belonged to? "Freya…? I mean, tell me that's not…"

"I'm with Beacon, that I am." Her confirmation only made them tenser, specially the Umbreon, who was glaring at her blankly as if his soul had left him. "Skoll, you should get away from that punk, that you should."

"Wait a minute here…" Skoll moved closer to Freya. They were obviously not going to fight in the middle of such a crowded area, they were already drawing some questioning glances, and he didn't want to fight her anyway. "Those guys at Beacon want to destroy all Adamantium. Didn't you know that?"

"Yes, I know, that I do. That's why I'm siding with them."

If there were any doubts about her sanity, she had just dispelled them. She was utterly mad! Did she really want to annihilate all Adamantium, just like the Zoroark? Not only was it absurd and insane, it was most likely impossible.

"Is this a joke or something? Cool, we've totally fallen for it, you've had your fun, now tell us it's all a joke." Skoll looked at the Mienshao with begging eyes, still holding a small hope that this was all a misunderstanding. But he was only deceiving himself. Freya wasn't a friend of jokes, he knew that. "But… why? Are they, like, I don't know, forcing you or threatening you or something? You can tell us! They won't attack us with this many people around, we'll just go contact the Oriole and… and…" No, what was he saying? She was a spectacular defender, she wasn't the kind of pokémon you could just threaten without losing a leg or two.

"What are you doing here at the Conflux?" Zephyr asked her. He wasn't worried about the people, the Garnet Oriole would immediately intervene if they started attacking bystanders. "If you're plotting anything weird, we'll…"

"We want to watch the play, that we do."

Um…

Well, okay.

"Are you kidding us?" Yeah, like Ivy would buy something like that. Did that weasel think she was stupid? "So your criminal group comes to a festival full of people for totally peaceful reasons, right? Now you're gonna start giving away berries and everything."

"Who said we're a criminal group? We have nothing against the peoples of the Heptagonal Ring, that we don't. Our only quarrel is against Adamantium!"

What…? She had just said something incredibly stupid, Safira thought. "B-But people depend on Adamantium to live… You can't say you have nothing against them, if you somehow removed Adamantium from the world you would do them much harm."

"That's not true, that it isn't. I'm doing this precisely because I care for our people. Adamantium is a hazard that must be eradicated."

The certainty with which she had said that unsettled Safira. Skoll had just said that Freya was from the Azure Nightingale, right? They would know much more about Adamantium than any other pokémon in any other node, then. So was she right…? No, Lumis had fervently defended Adamantium in their encounter with Naamah. Maybe she was just a defender like Skoll, she wouldn't necessarily know much about Adamantium then.

"Look, I can understand that Adamantium is very useful for our civilization, that I do, but I can't let that pragmatism cost us our lives." And with that dramatic parting phrase, she walked away in a similarly dramatic fashion.

"Hey, where do you think you're going, Freya?" Skoll managed to intercept her before she left their sight. "We're not done talking!"

"Yes, we are. You're not going to convince me and I'm not going to convince you, any conversation would be a waste of time, that it would." Freya started moving again, ignoring the Umbreon. "That show will start soon and I'd like to find a good place to watch it, that I would. Let me be."

No point in pursuing her. What would that achieve? Fighting in the middle of this much people? Someone innocent might end up hurt. Maybe letting her go was the best choice after all. They would certainly meet her again, that much was clear.

They had caused quite an uproar and many pokémon were glancing at them, but most just assumed it was a small quarrel between friends. Their clash with Freya had left a bad taste in their mouths, but at least the Kiwi's show would start soon. Maybe that would help them clear their heads, which they really needed.

* * *

><p>Lumis was walking around the perimeter of the Kiwi's stage looking for Skoll, or the sisters, or anyone, really. The show would start briefly, maybe he should just give up on his search and find a close seat where he could watch the spectacle from. He could resume his search after it ended.<p>

But before he could sit down in an empty stop he had found, a high-pitched girlish voice called his name. "Hey, Lumis! We're here, helloooo!"

Was that voice calling for him? 'Lumis' wasn't the most common of names, so he guessed so. When he turned his head to the origin of the sound, he saw a Sylveon, presumably the source of the voice, a Flareon and… that must be a Ninetales. When he got closer to them he noticed that he had already met the two eeveelutions, at least.

He guessed they could keep him company until he found Skoll. "Oh, hello. You were… Kizuna?"

"Yup. C'mere, we got a place for you!" Kizuna started tapping the ground near her with one of her bows.

That place was way too close to her, to Lumis's judgment, so he sat a short distance away from the spot she was pointing. He probably wouldn't be able to enjoy the play if he had to sit so close to a female, especially one with Cute Charm.

"You were Agni, right?" Lumis asked to the Flareon.

"That's correct. I'd like to thank you again for our successful trade back at the Beryl Calandra. I hope you'll buy from us again in the future." Loyal clients were a must for any successful metalworker like Agni.

"Oh, yes, we likely will." They had been acquiring Adamantium related items from the Amber Crane for many years, why would that change now?

"It deeply gladdens me to hear that. Our node, the Amber Crane, always strives to offer a –"

"Agni, you're gonna scare our customers away if you're always so tiresome," the Ninetales said. "There's a point where courtesy becomes suffocating. Aren't you two about the same age? Then what are you doing talking to each other as if you were a couple of old men?"

"Mmh. I guess." Maybe Agni was taking this too seriously. And wasn't this supposed to be a party, after all? Maybe he could afford to be a bit laxer around them.

"So, Lumis, uh? I'm Opal, well met." The Ninetales walked beside the Espeon and offered her paw. "Good to see my brother is making some friends for a change."

"Oh, of course." Lumis accepted her paw, shaking it with his own. Compared to the Sylveon, this fox looked much tamer. She probably wouldn't jump at his neck. Wait, did she say 'brother' just now? Agni was the only other male present, was she referring to him? Given their different species, it seemed impossible. Perhaps one of them was adopted? Lumis said nothing about it, since he considered that further questioning would be seen as impolite. "It's always nice meeting a fellow psychic-type."

Opal chuckled at this. "I'm pure fire, partner. I'm guessing you're reading some residual psychic energy within me?"

She wasn't fire/psychic? Oh, of course, Ninetales were pure fire-types after all, although highly proficient in psychic skills. That must be what had confused Lumis. "My bad."

"Hey, no big deal. I'm taking it as a compliment." She chuckled once again, not giving it much mind. Not the first time it had happened. They see her moving things with her mind and they assume she's a psychic-type, as if pokémon couldn't be skilled in moves they didn't share a type with. "Since you're a psychic-type yourself, I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you're from the Nightingale. Am I right, or perhaps am I right instead?"

"Yes, I'm a researcher at the Azure Nightingale."

"What a plot twist. Just like almost half of the psychic mons in the Ring, then." Actually, the reason Opal knew was because Agni had mentioned travelling to the Calandra to trade with someone from the Nightingale a few days ago. It had to be this Espeon. "So you're staying with us to watch the Kiwi's show, then?"

"I guess. I was looking for my friend, but that will have to wait for later."

"We're your friends too!" Kizuna happily proclaimed.

"Ah… Okay." Lumis wasn't sure if they could be considered 'friends' just like that, since they barely knew each other, but at least he had nothing against them. And he had to admit they seemed nice, more or less.

Now they just had to wait for the show to begin. How much longer would they have to wait? Just a handful of minutes at most. And although their wait wouldn't be boring, they would have wished it was.

A black furred fox materialized in front of them all of a sudden. The first thing she did was sit down to their height level, all while wearing a grin on her face.

Agni looked intently at the newcomer. A black furred fox? Wasn't that the description Zephyr gave of the Calandra's assaulter? Could she be…? No, it had to be a coincidence. But as he turned his head to the side and saw the expressions on the faces of Kizuna and Lumis, he started to wonder if maybe it wasn't a coincidence after all.

"Guys, that's not…"

"Naamah. Yes, that's her," Lumis answered, confirming his fears.

Kizuna shot a quick glance at the Espeon. How did he know how the Zoroark looked like? "Have you met her?"

"Ah, yes, we're pals," the Zoroark answered before the Espeon could. "I've talked to all of them. To him, to his Umbreon friend, and to the two sisters from the Calandra."

"We've talked, yes." Lumis watchfully leered at the Zoroark. At least it didn't seem like she was gonna attack, although with her illusions one could never know for sure. "But we're not, uh, 'pals'."

"That's what I thought." Kizuna sighed relieved. But of course they wouldn't side with the Beacon. Why would she even think of something so ridiculous?

Opal was starting to feel a bit lost. That was a Zoroark, wasn't it? Did they know her? "So, anyone care to fill me in?"

Lumis sighed. Where to start? "That's Naamah, a member of a criminal gang that goes by 'The Beacon'."

"A criminal?" Opal looked at her brother looking for confirmation. That was quite a grave accusation, not one they should make lightly. "What's all this about, Agni?"

"If she is indeed Naamah, she attacked the Beryl Calandra's Haecceity a few nights ago," Agni explained. It was difficult to explain anything more without giving away Naamah's relationship to the chroniclers, which he preferred to keep hidden from his sister.

"You…" Opal suddenly got up, her face adopting a firm, yet serene expression. Festival or not, she was a defender. If this Zoroark was truly a criminal, she would have to do something about it. "Is that true? Did you assault the Calandra?"

"I don't take kindly to those accusations you're throwing in my direction." Naamah's smile turned sour. "I just came here to have a good time like everyone else, I don't deserve this. Shame that only four of us came here after all. I guess the Luminary and Gev are more of the solitary kind, and Kay and Keira probably don't even like this kind of thing."

Did she just mention a bunch of names of what presumably were her teammates? Kizuna's eidetic memory would make sure to memorize them in case they came handy later. Kay and Keira were relatively common names in the Ring so it wouldn't help her much. And what in the world was 'Gev'? A gigaelectronvolt? No, it had to be a diminutive or a nickname or something.

"Answer," Opal insisted, her tone firm. "Did you assault the Calandra?"

Naamah shook her head. "No, I didn't, partner. I just went there to make a visit of courtesy, but then a certain yellow spider attacked me, so I understandably had to defend myself. Defending yourself is not a crime, right, Opal?"

Kizuna considered what Naamah had just said. She was technically right, since it was Tesla, her Galvantula tutor, who first attacked. But he did so only because the Zoroark had more than questionable intentions, she couldn't really blame her tutor for that.

But never mind all that, had she just called Opal by her name? Opal herself was quite befuddled by this, she was quite sure this was the first time she had met the Zoroark. "How do you know my name?" She tried to sound tough, but there was a slight hint of fear in her voice. Whatever the reason for knowing her name was, she knew it wouldn't be something good.

Suddenly, the shape of the Zoroark started to waver, her black fur turning white like snow, and eight additional tails emerging from the base of her tail. Once they looked at her whole body, what they saw was an almost mirror image of Opal, except for the red markings around her eyes, reminiscent of those present in a Zoroark.

Oh, of course. Their species were supposed to be masters of illusion, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that they could adopt different forms.

"Opal, I know your name, a very beautiful name by the way, because I am a chronicler." Naamah's form started to distort once again, but instead of turning back into a Zoroark, now she copied Kizuna's form. "Just like Kizzie."

"You are a _what_?" Opal stared at the Zoroark – a Sylveon now, wondering if the illusions were audial as well as visual. Had she heard correctly? She turned to Kizuna, the real Sylveon. "She is a _what_?"

"Hold on, you didn't…?" Naamah brought one of her illusory bows in front of her mouth, covering it. "Oh, I was convinced they would have told you. Sorry."

"What is she talking about, Kizzie?" Opal's tone was stern, although not hostile.

"Uh… we…" Could she really lie at this point? It would certainly prove difficult with Naamah in front of them. Maybe she should just tell her the truth, and hope Agni wouldn't get too angry. "Yes, it's true, we're both chroniclers."

Opal kept glaring at her for some seconds, neither of them lowering their gazes, although Kizuna was starting to feel intimidated. "You will understand if I find that really difficult to believe."

It was understandable, yes. But Kizuna knew how to convince her. "Opal, Ninetales, female, pure fire, 3'09'', 44.2 lbs. Ability: Flash Fire. Preferred berry: Cheri. Egg group: Fiel–"

"Okay, you can stop now, sweetheart." Either that Sylveon was inhumanly good at guessing heights and weights and favored berry tastes, or she was telling the truth. But what about the Zoroark? Was she a criminal after all or not? "What are you doing in this place, Zoroark?"

"You can call me Naamah, mate." Naamah sat beside Kizuna and started to intertwine her fictitious bows with Kizuna's real ones. Kizuna was quite surprised to find that the Zoroark's illusory feelers felt just like her authentic Sylveon ones. She considered pushing her aside, but as long as she wasn't attacking… The observing mons could only tell them apart because of the red markings around Naamah's eyes, because other than that they looked like exact twins. "And I insist, I've only come here with my comrades to have some fun. The Kiwi's show is starting soon, right? I'd like to see it."

Naamah, still retaining her Sylveon shape, was attentively watching the stage. Just like she had said, the show would start soon. Since she wasn't causing any trouble, Opal decided to let her be, but sat not far from her. "Don't try anything weird. I'm a well-trained defender."

"I know, Opal." Naamah was still beside Kizuna, who didn't seem to mind her presence all that much, since she wasn't being unfriendly. "Don't worry, we won't do anything until the festival ends."

'Until the festival ends'. That didn't do much to appease the Ninetales, who still kept her eyes on the Zoroark out of caution. Neither Lumis nor Agni seemed too fond of her company either, firing distrusting glares in her direction every now and then.

But she seemed tame so far. They could only hope she would remain like that for long.

* * *

><p>The 'show' the Lilac Kiwi had organized was actually a consecution of short sketches narrating important events both in the past and present of the Heptagonal Ring, as well as a few fictional stories. It had been quite entertaining overall.<p>

The show was nearing its end, at its last 'act'. There was a massive rock-like prop in the middle of the stage simulating the Kernel Ore. The genuine Kernel Ore was located not too far from the stage so it was easy to look at both of them at once, making it easy to see their outstanding similarity. Surrounding it was a group of different pokémon, all feigning they were working on the ore.

"Extracting Adamantium from the Kernel Ore is certainly an exhausting job!" one of them, a Sandshrew, said. "But this is our duty, the duty of the Amber Crane! Thanks to our efforts, the peoples of the Heptagonal Ring will have as much Adamantium as they may need!"

Away from the stage, at the public, Opal commented the scene with his brother. "They're giving our node some recognition. Nice, uh?"

"I guess." While Agni didn't like theatre much, he had to admit he was enjoying it somewhat. "Although neither of us works gathering Adamantium from the Ore, we're both metalworkers. Well, you're also a defender, but –"

The voice of a Ludicolo brought them back to the stage. "Amigos, our brave gatherers were peacefully working one day at the Kernel Ore, when suddenly some outlaws appeared! They wanted the Adamantium for themselves!"

A group of Beldum was operating a G-2401-T below the stage, the same machine Lumis and Safira had helped repair the previous day, which was now completely functional. The Beldum pressed a series of switches and turned some levers in the machine, causing a curtain of smoke to cover the stage.

While the stage was still drowned in smoke, two pokémon jumped on the stage. It was hard to determine who they were because of the smoke, but once it settled down their identities became clear, and the public burst into a roaring cheer followed by a collective applause.

One of them was a male Gabite wearing a – Wait, wasn't that a Gible last time? Good to see it had evolved. Anyway, he was wearing some sort of bicolor silk dress, the lower half being white and the upper half being green, as well as what appeared to be a green helmet on its head. More worrying was what seemed to be a red plate piercing through his chest, but once the smoke fully cleared it became patent that it was simply another prop, and that the Gabite wasn't actually stabbed. Well, thank goodness.

But, while the Gabite no doubt enjoyed some popularity among dragon-types, the previous ovation wasn't because of him, but because of the performer by his side.

This one was a pokémon each and every one of the eeveelutions, and even Opal, recognized instantly. The Vaporeon was dressed in silk gown similar to the one the Gabite wore, but fully white except for some green sleeves. A greenish wig adorned her head, and a red plate seemed to be going through her chest, much like the Gabite.

Of course, the eeveelutions among the spectators would comment on Scylla's apparition. Kizuna would, specifically. "Look at that, she's dressed as a psychic/fairy! Like me and Lumis!"

Lumis stared at her out of fear she might suddenly jump at him, and noticed some of her feelers reaching out to him. "Kizuna, no. We're watching the play."

"Later?"

"No, not later either." He wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do either, but he was almost certain it would be better if he didn't know.

"Aw…"

Kizuna pulled her bows back, making Lumis sigh relieved. It's not like he had anything to fear, he could have just teleported or raised a barrier. Agni was watching the situation with minor discomfort, while Opal just giggled at their antics. Opal had allowed herself to lower her guard a bit, for the Zoroark seemed friendly enough and had given them no trouble so far. Right now she was turned into an Espeon, not too different from Lumis except for the red eyeliner-like markings surrounding her eyes and slightly more feminine air, and was playfully poking Kizuna as she did the same, joking about them combining their powers to fuse into a Gardevoir. For a chronicler belonging to the Beacon, Naamah seemed to act in a somewhat silly manner, not unlike Kizuna, although Opal didn't discard that it could all be a facade.

Back at the stage, Scylla and the Gabite advanced forwards towards the fake Kernel Ore. One of the actors playing the role of a worker from the Amber Crane, this one a Furret, stepped forward. "Oh no, it's the preternatural seraphs! Whatever shall we do?"

"We will steal all Adamantium from the Kernel Ore!" the Gabite yelled. "Without the Ore, you will no longer be able to gather any Adamantium for the people of the Heptagonal Ring!"

"Oppose us and you will have to face our psychic powers!" Scylla shouted. So she was playing the part of a villain now? She herself didn't mind, any role was a good role.

While Kizuna's group watched the play from the west side of the stage, Zephyr was at the east side, along with Skoll, Ivy and Safira. Out of the four of them, Ivy was the one more absorbed in the play, although she seemed a bit bothered at the moment.

"Seriously? The first time I see the Genteel Mermaid onstage and she has to play a villain of all things?"

"Well, villains are also important in stories, and Scylla doesn't look like she minds," Zephyr said. "Plus, she looks pretty cute in that dress. What is that supposed to be, a Reshiram?"

Safira shook her head. A Reshiram, seriously? "Pretty sure that's a Gardevoir."

"A what?"

Skoll looked at Zephyr, incredulous. "Dude, how can you not know what a Gardevoir is? You're a male."

"Shhh. They're talking again." Ivy shushed them to stay silent, she didn't really care much for what they were talking about, and even if Scylla was playing the part of a villain she was still enjoying her performance, as well as the whole show.

"These evildoers wanted to get control of Adamantium by controlling the Kernel Ore!" the Ludicolo said, acting as the commenter. "Fortunately, the brave leader of the Garnet Oriole, Garm, would not allow that, amigos!"

A Hawlucha entered the scene, dressed in attire reminiscent of a Lucario.

His sudden appearance made Ivy gasp with glee. "El Ciclón!"

"Sendoa, Ivy. His name is Sendoa," Skoll corrected, not bothering to hide the smirk forming on his muzzle. The Leafeon seemed to have a childish obsession with theatre, which he found kind of cute.

"Yeah, that, Sendoa, whatever. Shhh." She turned her gaze to the stage once again, as then did the rest.

The Hawlucha, Sendoa, spoke up. "Halt, preternatural seraphs! Surrender now, or I shall have you test the fury of El Cicl – uh, ah, the fury of Garm!"

"Try to stop me, jackal!" The Gabite darted towards him, but Sendoa promptly jumped over the sand dragon and proceeded to kick him in the head. As realistic as it seemed to most pokémon, any experienced fighter would easily determine that it was faked. The Gabite fell to the ground, pretending to have fainted. "Curses…"

Sendoa pointed one of his hands, wrapped up in a Lucario-like glove, towards Scylla. "Give yourself up, or you'll meet the same fate."

"Never! You won't be able to withstand my psychic attacks!" A purplish glow started to envelop the Vaporeon, an effect caused by the G-2401-T operated by the Beldum under the stage.

A similar glow surrounded the Hawlucha, and he jumped backwards to give the appearance of being flung through the air, trying to simulate the effect of a telekinetic psychic attack. It wouldn't fool any psychic or dark-types, but it looked very flashy for any pokémon that didn't belong to any of those types.

"That won't be enough to defeat the great Garm! You shall now test my most powerful attack!" Sendoa pushed his hands together, as if gathering energy, and then extended both of his arms as if he was trying to unleash a powerful beam. "Esfera Aural!" The way they simulated the Aura Sphere was rather comical: a Gastly that had been hiding below the stage suddenly teleported in front of Sendoa, as if it were the Aura Sphere, and then dashed forward towards Scylla. A bluish glitter generated by the machine under the stage surrounded the Hawlucha and the Gastly for added credibility.

When the Gastly 'impacted' against Scylla, the G-2401-T released a cloud of blue dust to temporally hide away their position. The Gastly took advantage of this small window of time to teleport away from the stage, and Scylla to calmly lie down and fake having fainted from the 'attack'.

After the blue dust vanished, Sendoa raised one of his arms to adopt a triumphant pose. "And with this, the Kernel Ore has been defended!"

"Our great hero Garm had managed to save the day once again, amigos! The Kernel Ore would be safe and our friends from the Amber Crane would be able to safely gather Adamantium once again!" The Ludicolo walked to the center of the stage while every other actor and performer that had participated in the show gathered on the stage. "And with this, the Lilac Kiwi's show on the occasion of the Heptagonal Ring's 7777th anniversary comes to an end, mis queridos amigos. I can say, in the name of everyone that participated in our show, that it has been a great honor and a pleasure for us to be able to share these moments here with all of you. Please accept our sincerest gratitude from the bottom of our hearts. I hope we can meet again here next year. Muchísimas gracias."

The public gave them an ovation, with applause, cheers and even a bit of whistling. The many performers from the Lilac Kiwi, Scylla amongst them, gathered in a line and bowed down to the public, thankful for their acclaim. Once the applause died down many spectators started to leave to other zones of the Conflux, since the festival was for from ending, and some workers from the Kiwi started to clean up the stage. It had been quite fun, but the show had finally come to an end.

Naamah, who had transformed into a Flareon for one reason or another, turned back to her original Zoroark form and rose up from her sitting position, stretching out her arms in the process, feeling a bit lazy. "Well, that was fun, it really was, but I guess I should get moving now."

"You're not going anywhere." Opal dashed to the Zoroark, ready to pounce at her or even launch a weak fire attack if she tried to escape. "I'd first like to make you some questions. I want to clear up whether you attacked the Calandra or not."

Naamah shapeshifted once more, but this time she stayed a vulpine creature, since she copied Opal's form. "Oh, I sure would love to stay and chat, Opal, but I really have to… go do something right now. Maybe some other time?"

"Wait, 'go do something'? You're gonna have to explain that one to me more clearly."

"Really, I'm sorry but I can't stay." Naamah's Ninetales form started to distort away little by little. They expected her to turn back to her Zoroark form, or maybe even copy someone else, but instead she just vanished completely. "But don't worry, you'll get to see me a bit later, when the festival ends at night. Later."

"W-What? How?" Opal looked in all directions, desperately trying to find the Zoroark, but she was nowhere to be seen. "When did she teleport? I didn't even know a Zoroark could teleport!"

"She didn't teleport, most likely. I think her illusions are to blame," Lumis said. "She did this last time we saw her too. She leaves while keeping a static illusory image of her in front of you, and once she's far enough she just breaks the illusion. From the perspective of an outside observer, it would seem like she just vanished."

"And how come we didn't hear her flee?"

Lumis shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm guessing she can mask her sounds too, somehow."

"Mmh… An innocent person wouldn't flee like this, right? And right in the middle of the festival, too…" She couldn't let her do as she wished. She'd have to go after her. "I'll check around the Conflux to see if I can find her."

"What? Are you serious? She could be anywhere," Agni said. "You're not going to find her. What if she is using her illusions to hide herself?"

"I have to try at least. I'm a defender, dammit, I shouldn't have let her escape in the first place." They complained no more. If Opal really wanted to go look for the Zoroark, pointless as that was, that was her choice. "Don't worry about me, really. This is a party, you know, just have fun like normal. Go look for Zephyr and Lumis' friends, maybe." She ran off in a random direction in hopes of finding Naamah. She really didn't know what to do, she was just too nervous at the prospect of a criminal being on the loose at the Conflux during such a populous celebration.

Agni, Kizuna and Lumis just stared as the Ninetales left, completely mute. What could they say in such a situation? They stood silent for a few minutes, exchanging gazes with one another, until they heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, guys, why the sullen faces?" It was clearly Scylla, they didn't even need to turn to her to know. "I'm done with our show already, so how about we go see the others? Back when I was onstage I saw Zephyr, the Umbreon and the Calandra sisters at the other side. C'mon, let's go see them."

"Yeah… I guess we should do that…" Kizuna said in a feeble tone of voice.

"Seriously, guys, is anything wrong? You're starting to worry me."

"I guess it'd be better if we waited until we were with Zephyr and the others to talk about that," Agni said. "So that we don't have to repeat it twice."

Scylla nodded. Okay, that made sense. They followed her to the spot where she had seen the others before, who had fortunately not moved far.

The first thing they did was warn them about Naamah. They already knew she would appear, that was the very reason Tesla had sent Kizuna to warn Garm, but it was still a bit unsettling to know that a criminal illusionist was on the loose. However, they weren't too worried. Kizuna had seemed to get along with her just fine, maybe she wasn't so bad? And besides, since they had warned Garm about her presence, he must have prepared a special defense against illusionists. Aura readers weren't affected by illusions, for instance, so the Lucario should be all right.

They exchanged their travels stories with each other, making sure not to leave anything unsaid. So Agni had a Ninetales half-sister? And the leader of the Azure Nightingale was a quirky Serperior? And they had met Naamah at the Nightingale too, and she fled? Oh, and Freya was with the Beacon, this seemed to upset Lumis quite a bit. Scylla was born at the Coral Sittella, had a Floatzel aunt and even knew their Lilligant leader? And Minos was also born there, and knew Scylla to boot? And there was also a Weavile at the Warbler that both Skoll and Lumis had known since childhood, and that even Zephyr knew too, due to also belonging to the Warbler. They finally talked about their meetings with Garm and Sendoa. They didn't bother mentioning their encounter with that frisky Delcatty at the Lilac Kiwi out of respect for Ivy. Of course, they also shared everything Kizuna had told them about chroniclers, resulting in more than one gasp.

A lot had happened in just a few days, but right now nothing of that mattered. Now that the eight of them were together in the festival, they should try to have some fun! Which is precisely what they did for the duration of the festival.

Zephyr, Ivy and Skoll joined a little running competition with over two hundred participants, and ended 7th, 35th and 84th respectively. Could've been worse. There was a display with the latest Adamantium based technologies, which seemed quite interesting to Lumis and Safira, and even to Kizuna. Scylla found quite a few of her fans through the way, and even Zephyr met an admirer or two. Ivy and Safira also had a brief chat with their father. He had apparently seen the Kiwi's show with Higure and they had liked it, so they made sure to congratulate Scylla for her performance.

They did many, many other things, of course, but there isn't much of a point listing them all one by one, is there? It would take us an eternity, and while I am long lived, I'm not quite immortal. At the end, what matters is that they all enjoyed their time at the festival, and that this would be a day they would always remember.

For better or worse.

* * *

><p>Night fell. The sky could be seen black behind the crystalline Adamantium dome that covered the Conflux, the twirling sands frustrating any stargazers that had hoped to spend the night looking at the starry sky. The festival had been really enjoyable, but it was time for every pokémon to return to their nodes to sleep. After all, they would have to return to their usual routine the next day.<p>

Opal was tired from her fruitless search for Naamah and went home early, but now Agni was also starting to feel drowsy. The rest of eeveelutions were also feeling fatigued, since it had been quite a long day, so they agreed they should each go to their respective nodes for he night.

"But this isn't a goodbye, right? We'll be seeing each other again," Scylla said.

"That's what's always said in these situations," Agni said, "and then we never see each other again."

"Dude, is your ability Moody?" Skoll joked. "The Heptagonal Ring is not that big, and now that the Conflux is open again you can travel to any node and back home in the same day."

"Yeah. Also ours is a neighboring node," Ivy said, "so you have no excuse not to come visit every now and then."

"And if you forget to visit, don't worry, we'll make sure to drop by at your node," Scylla said.

Agni forced a sigh, although to be honest he didn't exactly mind, at least as long as they didn't become too… pestering.

"But what's gonna happen to you?" Scylla asked Kizuna. "Do you have to leave, or can you stay, or…?"

"I dunno. I thought master Tesla would appear today, but it doesn't seem like –"

"Ahem! Can I have your attention, please?" This last voice belonged to someone they all were acquainted with, the Luxray Minos from the Cerulean Warbler, who was now at the big stage the Kiwi had used before for their play. His raised voice wasn't directed at the eeveelutions in particular, but apparently at everyone in the Conflux. "I know the festival is ending and that you are all about to leave, but I'd like to have some words with you. I think they're important."

Well, that was an unexpected intervention. What did the Luxray have to say?

"Since this festival was so important, almost all habitants from the Heptagonal Ring are here. That's good, I think this is something all of you should hear. Uh, make sure to inform those who decided to stay home today, okay?" Minos looked like he was starting to get nervous, his eyes timidly darting in random directions. "Ugh, I – Oh, what you know, I'm getting a bit nervous and all. Haha. Since there's, you know, too many people here and… uh… Hey, can't you do this in my place? You're better informed, I bet you'd make a better spokesperson."

"Sure. If you want."

And, out of nowhere, a familiar Zoroark appeared onstage.

Scylla eyed the newcomer with caution. "A black fox? Is that…"

"Naamah, yes. The Zoroark from the Beacon," was Zephyr's answer. The Vaporeon needn't hear more.

What should they do? She was about to talk to the population of the Ring, and she likely didn't have anything good to say. Skoll thought of stepping in. "Shouldn't we try to stop her?"

"No, Garm and his troops should be around. They'll take care of this," Lumis said. "It would be better not to get involved with her if possible. She is a chronicler, we still don't know what she's capable of."

"And what's Minos doing with her?" Scylla wondered. She was starting to fear the worst.

But speculating was pointless, Agni thought. It would be better if they just waited to hear what they had to say to dispel their doubts. "Let's shut up and listen."

Most of the pokémon that were about to leave stopped and started to gather around the stage, wondering what the fuss was all about.

Naamah just kept speaking. "Hello, my friends. First of all, please allow me introduce myself: my name's Naamah and it is quite a pleasure meeting all of you here today. But, I understand you all must be quite tired from the long day and must wanna go home to rest, so I'll go straight to the point. I'd like to speak, today, of Adamantium." As she pronounced the name of the crystalline mineral, she pointed her right hand towards the Kernel Ore located not far from the stage she was on. "I understand that Adamantium is an essential resource to the Heptagonal Ring, but it's also a serious hazard. I politely request you all to stop any and all use of Adamantium."

Her proposition was perceived as contentious and provocative. Many pokémon started to murmur. Stop using Adamantium? What did she mean 'hazard'? Who did this fox think she was to talk to them like that?

A random Vullaby among the public was the first one to argue her. "What are you talking about, vixen? Adamantium is a vital resource to the Heptagonal Ring! Why in the world would we stop using it?"

"Yeah, what's so dangerous about it?" an Electabuzz asked.

"If you give me a moment, I'll explain," she said in an attempt to calm the murmuring multitude. "I've been observing Adamantium ever since I came into the world, and I don't like what I have seen so far. That's why the Beacon wants to put an end to Adamantium, for the good of all of you. Oh, and since I guess you're gonna ask that next, the Beacon is the name of the… association I belong to."

There was more murmuring. A Camerupt raised its voice above the others. "Why would anyone want something like that? What are you, crazy?"

An Aggron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, does this Beacon group come from a lunatic asylum or something?"

Upon seeing their reactions, Naamah could do nothing but sigh. She had expected this, of course, but it was still disheartening. "Very well, I anticipated this. We've come prepared." The Zoroark pointed again to the Ore. "I'm sure you are all acquainted with the Kernel Ore, right, friends? That's where the Amber Crane gets all the Adamantium the nodes in the Ring use, so if it were to become… inaccessible, that would mean no more Adamantium for anyone. With me so far?"

"What are you planning to do? Destroy it?" a Sealeo asked, fearing the worst.

"No, I'm afraid it's not quite that simple. Even if we destroyed the Kernel Ore, it would naturally regrow with time, as long as – Um, anyway, as we just said, we're not destroying it, but merely making it inaccessible. From now on, no one is ever allowed to take Adamantium from the Kernel Ore ever again."

"And who's gonna stop us? You?" a Krookodile said in a rather threatening tone.

"No, partner, I'm… I'm not really a good fighter, I'm afraid. But some of my allies are quite skilled when it comes to battling. There's someone in particular…"

"Are you talking about the lion? Is he with your group?" an Electrike asked, his glare fixed on Minos.

Minos with the Beacon? No, of course not, there was just no way that could be, the eeveelutions thought.

"No, not me. I mean, I'm part of the Beacon and I'm sure I could kick your ass, but I couldn't possibly hold out against you all."

Did Minos just say that? Did he just admit to being part of the Beacon? Scylla started giggling nervously, her muscles tensing up, her eyes widening. "I-I think I just heard something really silly and stupid. I misheard that, right, guys?" But she received no answer. The other eeveelutions were either staring incredulously at the Luxray or at each other, but all of them remained silent. "G-Guys…?"

Skoll was the only one that broke the silence, and only to grumble. "First Freya, and now him too? Did everyone suddenly join the Beacon when we weren't looking or what?"

But any fear our doubt they might've felt vanished away the second Garm entered the scene, with Zvonimir, the Noivern leader of the Cerulean Warbler, flanking him.

As soon as they saw them appear, Naamah seemed to whisper something to the lion. "Minos."

"Right away."

Suddenly, an intensely bright light enshrouded the area, temporarily blinding any pokémon near the stage. When the light faded away and eyes started to slowly open again, the Luxray was nowhere to be seen. Well, that was quite a quick escape.

"He used Flash to escape with ease," Naamah explained, a grin on her face. "He's quite a resourceful one, uh?"

"Commander, should we stop her?" a Bisharp asked Garm, an army of Lucario and varied dark-types behind him.

Garm raised a paw enveloped in a ghostly blue flame, but lowered it back again after merely a few seconds. "There's no point, she's not there. What your eyes see is merely an illusion she's projecting, but she's not present here."

"Uh? Then where is she?"

"I'm not sure, I can't seem to detect her aura. She must be far." For someone to be able to escape his aura-reading… She had to be really far from there, so how could she project her illusions at such distance so effectively? The Zoroark were really masters of illusions. But, anyway, if she wasn't there physically then there was no way she could cause any harm, so it was all good. No more reason to worry. "Is everyone alright? Is the Kernel Ore unharmed?"

Garm took a quick look around, but nobody seemed harmed. Thank goodness. Meanwhile, Zvonimir flied to the Kernel Ore.

"Zvonimir, has it been damaged?"

"…No."

"Good." Garm and Zvonimir stared at each other silently for a relatively long time, the Noivern near the Kernel Ore and the Lucario near the stage the Zoroark's illusion was located at. Zvonimir remained completely still and immobile for a worryingly long time, forcing the Lucario to scowl. "Is anything wrong, Zvonimir? The Kernel Ore is unscathed, isn't it? You can come back here already." But much to his surprise, or maybe to his dread, the Noivern just glanced away from him. "Zvonimir…?"

"Maybe I can explain this one, partner." Naamah might not have been present, but it seemed like her illusion could still talk anyway. Was this some kind of illusion that affected not only the visual, but also the audial? "Zvo is sick of your Adamantium too, and has joined our cause."

Wait. Wait a freaking second. They managed to get the leader of a node in their ranks? And not any leader, but what was arguably the strongest individual in the Heptagonal Ring? Even Garm seemed befuddled by this.

"So let me say this loud and clear: from now on, anyone who wants to get Adamantium from the Kernel Ore will have to deal with Zvo. He'll stay here to forbid anyone from getting closer to the Ore. We will take care of bringing him food and water at regular intervals, so there's no need to worry about his health." Everyone gaped at the colossal dragon in awe as Naamah spoke. He was certainly imposing, and rumored to be the strongest pokémon around, but could he realistically be able to keep everyone at bay? Wouldn't he get tired, eventually? And why was he even doing this in the first place? "Fun fact: the Luminary gave our draconic friend here a little gift to help him in his mission of guarding the Kernel Ore. See that rectangular red stone thingie over there?" Naamah's illusion pointed at an item located at the feet of the bat-dragon, which he had apparently brought with himself. "The Luminary called it a 'Draco Plate'. It strengthens dragon-type moves immensely, so there's that." Great, as if the Noivern wasn't strong enough on his own.

"C-Commander, w-what do we – Uh, s-should we a-attack?" The Bisharp couldn't hide his nervous shivering as much as he tried. Attacking gargantuan beasts wasn't among his favorite hobbies.

"No, not now," Garm answered. "There are too many people here, we can't allow ourselves to fight in such a crowded place, someone might end up hurt. Plus, it's late and we're all tired… We'll take care of this tomorrow morning."

Zephyr couldn't stand idle anymore. The leader of his very node had betrayed them and they weren't doing anything about it? He approached the Lucario to confront him about it. "P-Pardon me, but are you seriously gonna leave that monster there?"

Garm examined the small creature that had approached him. This Jolteon… wasn't this Jolteon with the Sylveon chronicler that warned him about Naamah? "The Kernel Ore won't be required until tomorrow morning, when the workers of the Amber Crane come here to gather Adamantium," Garm explained. "We can let it be for the time being. We will not endanger our people over this."

Mmmh. Well, that much made sense at least. They could do something about it the next day, it'd be better if they didn't tackle such a problem without preparation.

"Good. That's what we were counting on," Naamah said. Or, well, her projection did. "It's late and you're all tired, so please go get some well-deserved rest, my friends. I'm sure that, after you sleep on it for a few days, you'll come to understand that Adamantium really is a hazard to all of us and that this is the correct way to proceed. Please, friends, don't misunderstand the Beacon's intentions, we wish you no harm. I understand the Conflux is an important strategic location since it allows anyone to move between any two nodes quickly, but worry not, for this isn't a siege, you're still free to include the Conflux in your travel routes like usual. I can guarantee that Zvo will not attack you as long as you don't try to get your hands on to the Kernel Ore."

While a nice gesture on their part, that still didn't make up for the fact that they were blockading the Kernel Ore, and thus gravely harming all commerce and activities in the whole Heptagonal Ring. But what could they do right now, realistically? As much as they hated to admit it, Naamah was right, acting now would be pointless, there wasn't much they could do against the titanic Noivern at the moment.

But no matter, Garm would surely take care of it the next day. A single pokémon couldn't possibly hold out against an army, right?

"And… that's all, I think. That's all I had to say."Naamah's illusory form nodded to herself. "I know our methods might seem drastic right now, but with time, I'm sure you'll all learn to appreciate what the Beacon is doing for all of you. For now, I guess I should take my leave and cast this illusion away. Have a good night, my friends."

And just as she had said, her shape started to waver away until it disappeared completely, leaving the stage empty again.

Everyone started to leave for their homes. Nobody seemed to give the event much importance, since Garm could easily take care of it the next day. In fact, some pokémon even thought it all to be just another of the Lilac Kiwi's pranks, since the fact that Zvonimir would suddenly betray them sounded ridiculous and surrealistic.

The eeveelutions knew better. After having talked to some chroniclers and having known about the Beacon's existence for some days now, this seemed all too real to be a childish prank. But they wouldn't solve anything by just staying there staring at the Noivern.

"How about we go back home and sleep already?" Agni asked his cousin. He really missed his bed. And Opal would worry if it took them to long to go back to their house at the Amber Crane.

Zephyr didn't particularly have a problem with that, nobody did. "I guess you're right. I think we're all too sleepy to talk about what has just happened."

"Yeah, I guess we should go back home already," Skoll said. As a dark-type, he was the only one who didn't feel particularly drowsy, but there wouldn't be much of a point in talking if everyone was half-asleep. "How about we gather tomorrow morning to talk about all this?"

"Talk about what? This is out of our hands, let Garm and the Garnet Oriole handle it," Agni suggested.

"But we at least gotta know what's gonna happen to Kizzie now," Scylla said, turning to the Sylveon. "Are you gonna go back to the Observatory?"

"Master Tesla hasn't appeared yet, so I guess I'm allowed to stay for the time being." What was taking the Galvantula so long anyway? The festival had ended already. Oh well, it was pointless thinking about it now. "Uh… Ivy, Saf, mind if I stay with you two? Since your father already knows me and all…"

"Ah, yes, sure," Ivy offered, nodding for emphasis. "I don't think dad will mind." She gave a quick look to her Glaceon sister to see if she had any complaints, but she just nodded at the Sylveon. She didn't seem to mind, she probably cared more about getting some sleep than anything else right now.

"Then let's all meet tomorrow morning at the Calandra's Haecceity, okay?" Scylla proposed, getting some lazy nods and a few sleepy 'yes' in response.

It was then that Zephyr recalled Kizuna's… question. Luckily, it seemed like the Sylveon had completely forgotten about it thanks to the commotion the Beacon had just caused.

"Hey, Zephyr, about what I asked you before…" Oh, right, she was a chronicler. The concept of 'forgetting' was foreign to them. "So…?"

Did she really want an answer now of all times? Couldn't she wait until tomorrow, when they would be better rested and Zephyr could actually elucidate a coherent reason? "You're not leaving yet, right? There's no haste, then."

That much was true. Very well, she'd been waiting all her life to meet a male of her species, waiting a bunch of days wouldn't hurt her. "Mmkay. Then I guess it's time we go count some Mareep. See you guys tomorrow."

After a few goodbyes and good nights were exchanged between the many eeveelutions, they finally left the Conflux for their respective homes, so that they could finally get some rest. The paths that connected the Conflux with each of the nodes were fortunately not too long, even though their tiredness made the paths seem much longer than they actually were.

In spite of the rather impacting events they had just witnessed, it didn't take them long to fall asleep, since they were rather exhausted. The next day they would all travel to the Calandra, through the Conflux if they lived in a distant node, to talk more thoroughly about what had happened and about what should they do about the chroniclers and the Beacon, if anything. At the very least, it would be an excuse to reunite again.


	9. Attempt

Welcome back.

Oh, so many things are happening at once. You'll forgive this troubadour if she gets slightly confused, um…

I guess I could start by telling you about this and then that and – no, no, no, what am I even thinking, I should definitely start with that and then follow with this and… okay, okay, I think I got the order right. More or less. I'm still learning to use this thing, you see, it holds too much information and accessing it is a little confusing, but I think I can manage.

And here I am, digressing again, speaking to myself out loud like a loon. I wonder if that's why they say us ghosts are scary? We are not, I assure you. Oh, well.

Now, let us resume our tale.

* * *

><p>What time was it? Really, really early in the morning, no doubt about it. Scylla had woken up quite early, sleep still in her eyes, to travel to the Beryl Calandra to meet with Ivy and Kizuna and the others. To the east of the Calandra was the Azure Nightingale, where Lumis and Skoll lived, and to the west was the Amber Crane with Agni and Zephyr. Although Zephyr was technically affiliated to the Cerulean Warbler. Did he tend to sleep at his cousin's node? At any rate, this meant that all of them had spent the night in a node that neighbored the Beryl Calandra, but since Scylla lived in the distant Lilac Kiwi, she had no choice but to wake up early and take the long path through the Conflux.<p>

It was only when her sleep-afflicted blurry vision detected a winged colossus before her that she remembered the previous night's events. Didn't the Noivern leader of the Cerulean Warbler admit to being allied with the Beacon, going as far as settling to protect the Kernel Ore in the Conflux? Well, there he was now, right in front of her.

She might have felt a bit scared if it weren't because her brain still hadn't quite decided to wake up, and also because the dragon was thankfully not looking directly at her, but instead to the Lucario not far from him.

Wait, a Lucario…?

Scylla slapped her own cheek gently. This wasn't a good time to be half-asleep. But, for better or worse, everyone around her seemed to be ignoring her, having other more pressing issues to worry about.

The Lucario, who she recognized as Garm after giving him a quick look, was talking to the Noivern, keeping the dragon's whole attention. At his back was a bunch of different pokémon, presumably defenders. "Zvonimir, I ask – no, I command that you stop this nonsense right now. The Amber Crane's gatherer will come in later, and you will let them access the Kernel Ore. Is that clear?"

The Noivern just glared at him for an awkwardly long time, his facial expression unfathomable. "No…"

Garm sighed, not expecting this kind of stubbornness from the usually quiet Noivern. But it was too soon to give up. "Zvonimir, by doing this, you're endangering the well-being of everyone in the Heptagonal Ring. Many pokémon might lose their jobs over this, you're aware of that right?"

"It's… a shame…" He lowered his head, as if in shame himself. Was he gonna back down, now? No, it wouldn't be so easy. "But I won't move."

Garm stomped the ground. If only he had taken more severe measures against the Zoroark, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Even though they had warned him… He had though the taken measures would be enough, but he had severely underestimated the Zoroark's proficiency with illusions. "Shall I assume this is all because of your collaboration with this 'Beacon' group? You don't have to obey them, they're just using you. They're just a bunch of lunatics that –"

"No, I don't care about the Beacon, I hardly know their members. I'm doing this because… it's the best for… all of us."

"The best for all of us?" Garm could not believe his ears. How could Zvonimir say something so asinine? Was the Beacon a cult or something of the sort? It seemed like talking was pointless, but he still wanted to try one more time before resorting to violence. "Please, Zvonimir, be reasonable. You're just one lone pokémon, you can't possibly stand against all of us. Please, surrender before we're forced to… hurt you."

While it wasn't meant as a threat, it sounded like so to the Vaporeon's ears. If this was gonna turn into a battlefield, she didn't want to be anywhere near when that happened. Luckily, all the Noivern had done to her so far was giving her a quick sidelong glance, but he hadn't tried to harm her in any meaningful way. It seemed like Naamah hadn't lied the previous night, Zvonimir wouldn't attack travelers as long as they didn't try to get their hands on the Kernel Ore.

Scylla just ran to the south exit that connected to the Beryl Calandra, wanting to get out of there before thing turned awry.

She heard the Noivern talk one last time before leaving the area. "Just… do as you must." She had no intention of staying to discover how the whole scene would play out.

* * *

><p>Skoll and Lumis had arrived to the Beryl Calandra just a few minutes ago, and were now making their way to the center of the city, where the Haecceity was located. While Lumis was looking with curiosity at the many merchants around the town, Skoll was too busy yawning and trying not to fall asleep in the middle of the street. While not all Espeon loved mornings and not all Umbreon hated them, these two seemed to follow at least that stereotype to a tee.<p>

"Sleepy?" Lumis asked his friend.

"Not at all. I just like faking yawns, it's a thing I do."

"Heh."

"But really, did we have to come so early, Lum? You know I don't like waking up at an hour with less than two digits."

"Well, we didn't really specify a time to meet up, so…" They might have been tired after the festival, but that was no excuse not to have planned this better, Lumis thought. "Plus, we don't want to be late, right?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Haecceity's door was still closed."

Once they got to the Haecceity, they confirmed that the door was, just like Skoll had predicted, closed shut.

"Not surprised," the Umbreon said in the middle of a yawn.

But never mind the door. There was other pokémon waiting in front of the door, and it wasn't an evolution of Eevee. It was an old Galvantula, one they had seen before. Wasn't this Kizuna's 'master', whatever that meant?

After observing him for a while, Lumis hesitantly approached the Galvantula. "Hello…?"

Tesla, who was staring at the door, shot Lumis a quick disinterested glance before going back to looking at the door. "Good morning, boy."

"Y-Yeah. You too." Lumis kept staring at the Galvantula, thinking of what to say. He had so many questions, he didn't know where to start or how to word them. For starters, why was he here? Had he come for Kizuna? That was probably the most reasonable explanation. "So… uh…"

Feeling a bit nervous, Lumis glanced at his Umbreon friend for help, but he was taking a nap. Great help. But could he blame him? There was nothing to do until the door opened.

"Say, boy." Tesla started talking, and since Skoll was practically asleep and there was no one else around, Lumis guessed he was talking to him, resulting in a bit of an unsuspected surprise to the feline. "Do you remember that Sylveon chronicler by the name of Kizuna?"

"U-Uh? Y-Yes, I do." Of course he did, they had talked just the previous day at the festival. Did Tesla not know, in spite of being a chronicler? So it was true that the Observatory had been… malfunctioning. "Why you ask?"

"I was wondering if maybe… I guess you have no way of knowing, but do you perhaps know Kizuna's whereabouts?"

"She's… right there in the Haecceity," Lumis said, pointing one of his paws to the palace-like building.

"Oh, I had assumed so, since Linze is now acquainted with her. I was right in checking this place first." So he was looking for her? Well, he had found her. Once she woke up, anyway. "And how is it that you know?"

"Um, we talked to her yesterday at the festival and, well, we agreed to meet here…"

Tesla's face adopted an angry glare with a hint of worry. Not that Lumis could interpret an insect's facial expressions. "I remember explicitly advising you against getting involved with chroniclers."

"U-Uh… Well, yes, but…"

Lumis was starting to feel a bit intimidated by the bug, and not only due to being a psychic-type. In spite of his small size, the Galvantula still managed to inspire awe.

But right on cue, Skoll interceded in defense of his friend, apparently having woken up. "Hey, cut it out, Mr. 'Master'. Kizzie's a good girl so we just wanted to chat with her a bit. That's all." He wasn't really lying, since talking to the Sylveon was one of the reasons for their visit.

Tesla turned now to the Umbreon. "That's fine and all, but the less people are involved with the chroniclers the better. Make sure you avoid talking about us with anyone."

"Yeah, we're discreet, don't worry. Now turn that frown upside-down," Skoll said. "If that's a frown. I can't tell."

Out of a sudden, the door to the Haecceity that had remained closed started to slowly open, revealing a Linoone with a drowsy face behind it, pushing the door. He was understandably surprised when he saw the eeveelutions, but especially when he saw the Galvantula.

"Tesla? What are you doing here?"

* * *

><p>Kizuna was slowly getting out of her 'bed', actually a soft leather mound, stretching out not only her muscles but also her bows. "What a super comfy bed!"<p>

Ivy was also just getting up from her sleep, letting out a lazy yawn. "Didn't you sleep in beds back at… wherever chroniclers sleep at?"

"Yes, we all have rooms with beds back at the Observatory," Kizuna explained, softly wiping the sleep from her eyes with one of her feelers. "But we sleep alone, so they're kinda dull and boring. Plus, they get a bit cold at night."

Lastly, Safira also leisurely arose from the comfort of her bed. "Good morning, Ivy…" Only after seeing the Sylveon did she remember that they had allowed her to sleep at their room. "O-Oh, and Kizzie too."

"G'morning, Saf!" Kizuna happily greeted her with a cheery grin. While the Leafeon just raised a paw as a way to say 'hi' to her sister, the Sylveon decided to be more direct about it and approached the Glaceon, her feelers wavering about.

Comprehensibly, Safira stepped back. No, sir, being engulfed in bows by a way too affectionate Sylveon wasn't her idea of a pleasant awakening.

Kizuna didn't quite understand her reaction. This Glaceon wasn't a male, so it wasn't because of her Cute Charm ability… Wait, she had said before that she found her room back at the Observatory cold. She wouldn't have accidentally offended her with that, right?

"T-There's nothing wrong with being cold. Really, you're pretty cute and cool, Saf." Kizuna nodded to herself. That was better. No, wait, it wasn't, she just said 'cool'. "But, uh, not cool in a cold way. Cool in a… cool way. Like, by cool I'm not referring to your actual body temperature but –"

"Y-Yes, I get it. Thanks." Safira's eyes darted to her sister, as if asking for help. It's not like she disliked the Sylveon, but she didn't want those eerie feelers anywhere near her body.

"Didn't we agree yesterday to meet here with the others? You think they might be here already?" Ivy wondered. "Dad will most likely be up already, at the very least, he usually wakes up before we do. How about we go to the main room to see if there's anyone there?"

No complaints from Safira or Kizuna, so they left the room through the door to directly access the main room of the Haecceity, where visiting guests used to reunite. The room, just like they had guessed, wasn't empty. Only two of the eeveelutions had come yet, the ones from the Azure Nightingale, who were keeping their father company. Most interestingly, there was a Galvantula conversing with their father.

Kizuna didn't know how to feel about Tesla's presence. On the one hand, she was happy to learn he was alright, but on the other, this meant she might have to return to the Observatory soon.

"Took you long enough to wake up, uh?" Skoll greeted the females with a paw, while Lumis bowed his head down in a polite bow, which was a bit unnecessary, since he was between friends, and more of a show of respect towards the Linoone leader.

"Hey, Skoll, Lumis. So you're here already." Ivy took a quick glance around the Haecceity's interior to see there was anyone she was missing, but no, those two were the only other eeveelutions present. "And the rest?"

"They've yet to come," Lumis said, although they had already guessed that much.

"Oh, and the… spider?"

"I've come to see Kizuna myself," the Galvantula himself explained. "Now, Kizuna, I need to talk with you."

"Sure thing, master! Watcha wanna talk 'bout? Berries? Fashion? Fluffy things?"

Tesla didn't seem to find it humorous. Not the best time for jokes. "No, Kizuna, it's… Shouldn't we talk in private? I doubt these nice fellows care about what we have to say."

"Oh, we do, we do," Skoll quickly interceded. "We're pretty damn curious about everything."

"And she would probably tell us later anyway," Ivy added with a muffled laugh.

Tesla sighed. Oh well, whatever. "Look, Kizuna, you must return to the Observatory."

Kizuna lost her natural smile and tried to replace it with a forced one. The final result wasn't very believable. "Haha, you guys can't live without me, uh?" She had deceived herself into thinking that this wouldn't happen, that Tesla wouldn't ask her to return to the Observatory so soon. She had convinced herself that he would understand. But, deep inside, she knew all too well that that was not how chroniclers operated. "I'm required already? You guys finally got the Observatory up and running again?"

"No, I'm afraid the Observatory is still working incorrectly. The Doyen is doing what he can to remediate it, but…" It had been seven months since the Observatory started malfunctioning, Tesla recalled. That seemed like more than enough time to repair anything, but then again the Observatory was immense. "And anyway, it's not that you're 'required', Kizuna. We just think it would be… the safest choice."

"Safest?" Kizuna wondered what he meant exactly by that.

"We've managed to dig up some intel about the Beacon from the Observatory, which was particularly difficult to do given its current state, and we don't like what we've found. Naamah was just a chronicler, and as such didn't know much about battling and didn't suppose a direct threat to us, but now we know that at least some of their members are defenders. Chroniclers are scarce, and their lives very valuable. We can't risk leaving you here at the Ring with some deranged defenders running around."

So it was for safety reasons? Kizuna understood his worry, the chroniclers' worry, but still… "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"We can keep an eye on her if you want," Skoll offered. The girl didn't seem to want to leave yet, so if he could do anything to help convince the spider…

"While I appreciate the intent, this is out of your hands," Tesla said. "The Beacon is proving to be more of a threat than we originally thought. Sorry, but we can't afford to take any risks."

"And what do you know about the Beacon, exactly?"

Hey, a new voice. Well, not really new, it was Opal. But that begged the question, what in the world was Opal doing there? This question was answered once they saw Agni and Zephyr walking behind the Ninetales. Had she come with them?

"When we told her about what happened yesterday, she insisted on coming," Agni explained.

Zephyr noticed that practically everyone was there, except for Scylla. Damn, they were late, even Tesla was there already. And… okay, he wasn't expecting the spider. "Oh? So you're here too?"

"Yes, I'm here too. I would think your eyes would be more than capable to answer that question," Tesla said. After seeing the Espeon and the Umbreon, the presence of those two eeveelutions that had just entered wasn't exactly a surprise, since they were the ones that actually left with Kizuna last time. The Ninetales, however, was more of an unexpected guest. "And what's the motive of your visit, Ms. Ninetales?" Of course, Tesla knew her name due to his position as a chronicler, but made sure to avoid using it. He wasn't sure if they had told her about the chroniclers, he preferred to be prudent and keep it secret if possible.

"I came to ask Kizuna about what happened yesterday and its relation to these 'chronicler' people I keep hearing talk about, since she's apparently one."

Oh, fantastic. Just fantastic. Tesla fired a glare at both the Flareon and the Jolteon, not particularly focusing on either of them. "Please correct if I'm wrong, but I would swear I explicitly told you not to disclose Kizuna's identity to anyone. Or is my memory failing due to old age?"

"Don't jump to conclusions. Not our fault," Agni said. "That was Naamah speaking more than she should have."

"What? The Zoroark? Oh, for the love of…" What in the world was the Zoroark thinking about, revealing the identities of chroniclers just like that? But at least, the Ninetales should be the kind of pokémon he could trust, according to the Observatory. What worried Tesla was that the Observatory's information was outdated by seven months. So much can change in that short period…

"Should I assume you're a chronicler too, spider?" Opal asked.

"Yes, I am. I won't hide it."

"So what do you know about the Beacon?"

"Not much," he admitted. "And why would you want to know?"

"Because as a defender, it's my duty to stop any criminal activity, preferably before it happens." Opal wouldn't admit it, but she was quite burnt that she had let the Zoroark escape during the festival. Some kind of pride urged her to remediate it. "So if you'd be so kind to share any information you had…"

"I can't – I shouldn't do that. Please, just leave this to us, we know what to do. Involving more people would only complicate things unnecessarily for us," Tesla said in an almost pleading tone.

"Actually, I'm sure us defenders could be of help," Skoll said. "Just tell us who to beat up and we'll take care of the dirty job. Right, Zephyr?"

"I give my word we won't involve anyone else," Zephyr promised in an attempt to calm the Galvantula down, since the involvement of citizens seemed to be what worried him the most.

Tesla wasn't sure how much they could help, if at all, but ultimately decided to humor them. While contacting citizens was frowned upon among chroniclers, these folks were already acquainted with their situation, so he might as well take advantage of that. Plus, he really didn't feel like arguing with them, he was getting too old for this. "If you want to stop the Beacon on your own I can't really stop you, but remember that these are not your run-of-the-mill criminals."

"I'm not your run-of-the-mill defender," Opal proclaimed with a cheeky grin.

"I am not unaware of your battle prowess, but overconfidence will do nothing but hinder you, Ms. Opal," Tesla said. Her skill meant nothing against an unknown enemy, even if she was one of the strongest fire-types in the Ring. She wasn't even the strongest fire-type the spider knew.

"Don't you think you're overreacting a tiny little bit, spider?" Skoll said. "Catching outlaws it's the kind of thing we defenders are expected to do. How are these guys any different?"

"We chroniclers live our lives surrounded by information, so it's only logical that what we fear the most would be that which is unknown to us. They have one – at least one chronicler on their side. That will make it easy for them to mask their members."

"But we know at least some of them, thanks to yesterday's events," Lumis recalled. "Like Minos or Freya…"

"I beg your pardon?" Tesla turned to the Espeon. What was the cat talking about now? Had they met more members? He needed to confirm that, it would be invaluable information. "Let us clarify. Are you talking about The Luxray Minos from the Cerulean Warbler and the Mienshao Freya from the Azure Nightingale, your –"

"Yes. Yes, those two." The way the spider looked at him… This Galvantula definitely had Unnerve, Lumis thought.

"Wait, how the hell did you know?" Opal asked Tesla, her gaze and tone reproving. "Even if you're a chronicler, it's not like they are the only pokémon in the Ring with those names."

"Do you assume I've been wasting all this time weaving webs? The Observatory is recovering little by little, and we've already managed to access some information, like the involvement of those two with the Beacon, but we still wanted to confirm it before taking any wild decisions, lest that information be wrong. After all, the Observatory has yet to be fully repaired and we cannot trust its information gathering functions are working as intended." Oh, so the chroniclers hadn't been wasting their time. Tesla did say they would try to gather some intel on the enemy, what a shame that it was nothing they didn't already know. "But, our conversation is quickly spiraling off topic. So let me return to the topic at hand: Kizuna, you must return to the Observatory."

This comment drew a few gasps and surprised gazes from the pokémon that hadn't been present when he had mentioned those same words minutes ago.

"What? Why so soon?" Zephyr asked, sounding bothered.

At that moment Scylla entered into the room, interrupting their little debate. "Wow, everyone's gathered here already? Wasn't aware I was so late." Look at that, even the spider was here. Was that good or…? "Oh, hello, Mr. Tesla."

"Good morning, child." Tesla bowed, because spiders apparently can bow, Scylla was learning this fact just now. Anyway, Tesla was starting to get tired of getting interrupted all the time.

"Sorry I was late," Scylla continued. "But I had to go through the Conflux and Garm was there with Zvonimir and, well… But Zvonimir didn't even try to attack me or anything, so it's all good."

"Zvonimir? The Noivern?" Tesla knew that no one else in the Ring held that name. It wasn't exactly the most common of names. "And why in the world would he attack you?"

"Well, since he's stationed at the Conflux and I had to go through there…"

"What? Whatever are you talking about?"

"Oh, right, you don't know since you weren't present during yesterday's festival, master," Kizuna said, taking a moment to clear her throat. "Naamah set Zvonimir to guard the Kernel Ore so that no more Adamantium could be gathered."

"She what." Tesla kept staring at the Sylveon for an uncomfortably long time. Either his pupil had become crazy, or he was going senile. "Okay, let's start from the beginning."

"7777 years ago, our seven ancestors –"

"I was referring to yesterday's festival. What happened exactly?"

"Uh… Pretty much what I just said. Naamah was there being all casual and nice when suddenly she goes all like 'You fell for it, suckers!' and tells Zvonimir to guard the Kernel Ore, because Zvo apparently is in the Beacon too. I guess those guys at the Beacon must have delicious berries or something because everyone seems to be flocking there lately."

Tesla appreciated the more thorough explanation, but it generated more doubts than it solved. "They managed to gain the favor of a node's leader? Dear lord, how? How could they manage something so…?" And did it have to be the Noivern, the strongest of them all? There was just no way he was letting Kizuna run around with that dragon out there. "Kizuna, you must return to the Observatory, now more than ever."

"What? Why so suddenly?" Scylla asked.

"Yeah, why the urgency? There's no reason for such haste," Zephyr said in agreement.

"So you don't consider a Noivern on the loose to be good enough a reason?" Tesla asked.

"No. No, I don't. It's not like we're defenseless or anything."

"You might be brave, boy, I'll give you that, but you're somewhat lacking in the common sense department. Take that not as an offense."

Of course Zephyr was taking that as an offense. The spider had pretty much just called him stupid. "I'm telling you we have nothing to fear from Zvonimir. After all, he didn't attack Scylla, right? Those guys at Beacon did say they wouldn't attack anyone innocent."

"But people can lie. That dragon might behave peacefully today, but you have no guarantee he will remain tame for long. Let's assume he suddenly started attacking Kizuna without warning, do you really think you would be able to protect her from harm?"

"Uh… Probably," Zephyr said with a certain tone of indecision. Once he noticed Tesla's glare, he immediately berated himself for showing lack of conviction at a moment like this. "But of course I can protect her! They don't call us defenders for nothing. We've been specifically trained to protect others."

"You said it." Skoll nodded at the Jolteon's comment. "And didn't Scylla just say Garm was with Zvonimir? Let's be realistic here for a second, there's just no way that Noivern alone can withstand the attack of Garm's army, no matter how strong he is, so Zvonimir is a non-problem."

Tesla fixed his gaze on the Vaporeon, recalling her previous words. "Ah, yes, the lass did say Garm was there too. Were his forces present?"

"Uh? Y-Yes, sir," Scylla answered. "In fact, when I left they were about to get into a fight."

"Ah, good. The Noivern can't possibly hold out against many pokémon at once, he will fall sooner or later," Tesla said in a low voice, as if talking to himself, although everyone could hear him clearly. "Which begs the question of why would the Beacon bother doing something like this in the first place. Is this some sort of trick or…?"

He seemed to have calmed down… Kizuna wouldn't pass this opportunity to try to convince him to let her stay. "So… if there's no danger, there's no need for me to go back yet, right?"

"We'll make sure she's unscathed. You have my word," Zephyr promised, bringing his paw to his chest for emphasis and eliciting a soft coo from the Sylveon.

"I think you're all missing the point." Tesla took a moment to think of how to word what he was about to say without sounding too belligerent. It wasn't easy, but he had to ensure Kizuna's well-being no matter what. "Look at it from my perspective. Until you told me, I had no idea Zvonimir was part of the Beacon. What would have happened if he had told me he would protect Kizuna and I had accepted?"

Ivy scratched the tuft of hair protruding from her chest, its texture similar to that of fresh grass. Indeed, the scenario the spider had just suggested would have been a problem, but luckily it didn't happen. "Well, but now you know you can't trust Zvonimir."

"That's the problem. I didn't know that before," Tesla insisted. They wondered what point he was trying to make, but Tesla didn't know how to make it clearer without offending them. "So, if Zvonimir had told me that I could trust him and that he would defend Kizuna, and I had accepted leaving her with him… I would be in quite some trouble just for trusting blindly…"

They all stared at the Galvantula for a brief moment before Skoll's rings started to glow mildly. The Umbreon huffed audibly, his red eyes affixed on the spider like piercing knives. "So what are you saying? That you fear some of us might be part of the Beacon?"

Stares started to gather on the Umbreon, whose gaze didn't leave the Galvantula at any point. The fact that Tesla wasn't denying what he had just said seemed to add credibility to his words.

"Well, I didn't want to put it so bluntly, but…" Tesla wondered if he was sounding too cold, but it didn't really matter, Kizuna's safety came first. "Again, understand my position. What guarantee do I have that none of you is part of the Beacon? Or for that matter, what guarantee do any of you have that none of you is part of the Beacon?"

The spider's question made everyone rather uneasy. Indeed, what guarantee did they have they could trust one another? At the very least, they knew they could trust those they had known for long. For instance, Zephyr, Agni and Opal didn't doubt each other, since they were all family. The two eeveelutions from the Azure Nightingale also profoundly trusted each other due to their long lasting friendship, and neither of the Calandra's sisters would ever even consider distrusting the other sibling.

But what about everyone else? They had known each other for no longer than a week, what reason did they have to trust each other? They wanted to think the others seemed trustworthy, but was that enough? Zephyr and Scylla would have never suspected Minos, and not even in their weirdest nightmares would have Lumis and Skoll guessed Freya was in a criminal band. If they couldn't even trust old acquaintances, could they really afford to trust people they had known for not even a week?

The question was certainly quite unsettling.

"None of them is a member of the Beacon," Kizuna firmly stated, as if it were a universal truth.

Well, of course she would try to defend her new – her only friends, Tesla thought. Could he really blame her for that? "Kizuna, I understand that you feel like you can trust them, but –"

"Who's talking about feelings, master? Not me, that's who. And let me add that it's a shame, we should totally be talking about feelings now that we're all gathered here." Kizuna shook her head as if to steer herself. Not the time to go off topic. "We're chroniclers. We base all our decisions on the information we gather at the Observatory, so it's normal that don't know how to act when we're lacking that information. But the Observatory is not the only source of information."

"What do you…?"

"Yesterday, during the festival, Naamah accidentally spouted the names of three of the Beacon's members. Well, I'm not sure she did it 'accidentally', but whatever. Those names were Gev, Kay and Keira, so since none of the pokémon present here have those names, we know none of them belong to the Beacon."

Everyone gazed at the Sylveon with what could be described as a mixture of surprise and amazement, as no one had expected her to start using logic to defend her position. But, while Tesla appreciated her efforts, he was far from convinced. "First, Naamah had every reason to lie, her words are not to be trusted. Second, those names could actually be just codenames or something to that effect. And third, even if those names were true, that would only mean we know the names of some random members, but not all of them, since we don't even know how many members make up the Beacon."

"Actually, we do," Ivy said. "Back when we met Naamah at the Nightingale, she said they were eight, counting that Luminary guy. So with the four we know, Naamah, Zvonimir, Minos and Freya, plus those three names and the Luminary, we at least know the names of all eight members, right?"

"Oh. Interesting." That sounded somewhat more convincing, but Tesla still had his doubts. "But then again, Naamah could have just lied, and even if she didn't we still don't know the identity of this 'Luminary' person."

"So it could be one of us, it's what you're saying." Opal wasn't taking kindly to the accusations, but was keeping her composure as good as she could.

"I agree it would be too much of a coincidence, but I still have to be cautious. If I can't even trust a leader of a node, who can I trust? The most sensible choice would be for Kizuna to return to the Observatory. It's where chroniclers belong, after all."

"A bit pointless since it's half-broken, though," Kizuna complained. "Actually, now I think about it… You'll all be busy trying to reconstruct the Observatory, right? And since it doesn't work properly, you won't know what's going on in the Heptagonal Ring unless you come here. It occurs to me that it would pretty darn useful if you had, say, a fellow chronicler stationed at the Ring acting as a correspondent to inform you of what's happening here, don't you think?"

"Mmh…" Tesla considered her proposition for a moment. She was right that it would help them immensely, as they would be able to put all their efforts into repairing the Observatory without any kind of distractions. "We have considered that, yes, but we will leave that to a full-fledged chronicler. Remember you're still a trainee, Kizuna."

Kizuna's mouth twitched briefly. She didn't like being reminded that, in spite of all her training, she was still considered a novice by most chroniclers. But why not use that to her advantage? "Precisely, master. Since I'm just a trainee, I wouldn't be able to help with the Observatory's reparations as much as an experienced chronicler. Why bother sending one of them here when I can just stay in their place?"

"But…"

"And I know this might be a tiny little bit dangerous, yes, but so it would be for any other chronicler that decided to stay here. Most chroniclers can't really fight."

"That's true at least. We're scholars, not fighters," Tesla admitted. "I can only think of one chronicler apt at fighting, and we'll need her at the Observatory. Mmh…" Should he let his pupil stay after all? Tesla started rubbing the two appendages in front of his head together, pondering what to do.

Agh, why even bother? She's gonna end up doing whatever she wants, anyway.

Kizuna's sapphire eyes shone up, twinkling like odd-colored stars. "Master, then…"

"If I told you to come back, would you?"

"Nope."

"Exactly. The Observatory is no jail, if you don't want to return by your own feet, I can't really force you to. I'm worried about your physical well-being, of course, but I don't think we should neglect your mental health either. I trust you can take care of that in my place, right?" Tesla wasn't looking at anyone in particular, so the question was presumably directed at everyone present.

Since Zephyr had been the most vocal supporter of Kizuna's prolonged stay, he felt that it was up to him to answer the Galvantula. "I – We can guarantee her physical well-being. Not entirely sure what you mean by 'mental health', though…"

"That a child raised in complete isolation can't possibly grow to be a well-adjusted individual," Tesla said with a deep sigh. "Just be there for her. That should be enough."

"Uh, okay." Now Zephyr was wondering what in the world he meant by 'be there for her'. The Galvantula couldn't be vaguer if he tried. Most likely, he just meant keeping her company. "Then… can Kizzie stay?"

"For now," Tesla said, inciting a few cheers from some of the present eeveelutions. Kizuna herself merely smiled, having expected this outcome already. "As a chronicler, she'll eventually have to return to the Observatory, but she should stay here for the time being to keep us informed about the Beacon's activities while we repair the Observatory."

"Yeah, you leave that to me, master." Although she didn't show it outwardly, Kizuna was actually quite glad. Not only was Tesla letting her stay, but he was even assigning her a mission of sorts! Now she felt a bit more like an actual chronicler and less like a mere trainee. "So what will you do now? Will you go back to the Observatory, master?"

"Yes. Well, no, not yet, first I'd like to have a quick chat with Garm about Zvonimir. I'm still quite surprised to find out that the Noivern is affiliated with the Beacon."

"Oh, so you will go to the Garnet Oriole before returning, then?" Kizuna asked. The Galvantula nodded weakly in her direction. "Should I go with you?"

"Do as you wish."

"I'll go, then."

"You'll have to pass through the Conflux to get there," Zephyr reminded them. "Garm's group should have already defeated Zvonimir but… do you want me to go with you, just in case?"

Well, the company of a defender was always welcomed, Tesla thought. "We would certainly appreciate it, but we should start moving already. They will expect me back at the Observatory sooner rather than later, so let's not waste more time."

Tesla didn't wait for their confirmation, he just started walking in direction to the door that led outside. Seeing he wasn't going to wait for them, Kizuna and Zephyr quickly followed after him, the Sylveon only stopping briefly before leaving to look back at the rest of pokémon. "Uh, sorry I have to leave so fast, but I'm sure we'll have many more chances to see each other, so it's all okay. By the by, where… uh, where am I supposed to sleep at night?"

"Oh, feel free to stay here with us!" Ivy immediately proposed. "I'm sure Saf and Dad won't mind."

Linze simply shrugged. "Uh… Well, if you girls don't mind her staying, you won't hear me complain."

"I guess…" Safira averted her gaze away from the Sylveon. She wasn't sure how to feel about someone else than her sister sleeping in the same room than her every night, but she would have to get used to it.

"Neat! Well, then we'll be leaving now. Ciao!" Kizuna bid them farewell by waving her bows around in the air, and then rapidly ran after the two electric types that were waiting for her just outside the Haecceity.

And now that the main reason they all had gathered had left… well, they no longer had much of a reason to stay there at the Calandra's Haecceity, did they?

"We should be going back to the Amber Crane, now that it's still early," Agni said, looking at his half-sister. "The festival is over, we've got work to do."

"Easy, champ. Our metal factories aren't going anywhere," Opal said. "But, yeah, if we want to get to the Crane and get some work done today, we should start moving our asses already. It's not like we have anything else to talk about, since Kizzie is gone and no one else here knows anything else about the Beacon, right?" She waited a few seconds for an answer that never came. "Thought so. Well, we're off. Make sure you guys come visit us every now and then, I'm sure Agni would appreciate it a lot, even if he would never admit it."

And without waiting for her brother's comeback, Opal left the Haecceity, leaving the Flareon behind leering at her. After a sigh and a quick 'goodbye', Agni also left the place.

And little by little, one by one, all other eeveelutions also started leaving for their respective nodes, until the only ones left were those who resided at the Beryl Calandra. Now that the festival had ended they all had to return to their daily routines, hoping the existence of the Beacon wouldn't affect them much.

* * *

><p>Once they arrived to the Conflux, the first thing Tesla and the two eeveelutions by his side noticed was the colossal Noivern near the center of the area, as well as the Lucario sitting not far from him.<p>

Zephyr moved in front of the two pokémon he was supposed to protect, glaring cautiously at the Noivern. "Don't ask me why, but I was kind of expecting this."

"I think we all were," Tesla added. "Zvonimir looks practically unharmed. Did he surrender, perhaps?"

"Best way to know is to approach them and ask," Kizuna said.

They started to approach the Noivern and the Lucario with caution, fearing the dragon might suddenly start attacking. But once they got close enough, the Noivern just eyed them lazily without moving. Garm didn't even have to open his eyes to detect them thanks to his aural powers – in fact, having his eyes closed seemed to enhance his aura reading skills. Those were Tesla, the Sylveon chronicler from the other day and… the last one seemed to be one of the pokémon that accompanied the Sylveon last time. The Jolteon, perhaps.

Garm opened his eyes and took a look at the newcomers to confirm whether his aura readings were accurate. They were. "Tesla, it's been some time."

"Well, yes…" Tesla couldn't keep his eyes from the Noivern. He still feared the dragon might start attacking them any moment. "As I hope you understand, I'm in a bit of a hurry, what with being a chronicler and whatnot, so if you could sum the situation up we'd appreciate it. What happened exactly with Mr. Zvonimir here?"

"He had admitted to having an alliance with the Beacon, and is forbidding us access to the Kernel Ore, and thus Adamantium." Garm explained.

"My pupil briefed me about that already. What I meant to ask is… why is he still here? I heard your node was going to take care of this."

"We tried, but our defenders proved to be insufficient, I'm afraid."

Zephyr's eyes widened upon hearing this, instinctively twisting his head to the Noivern. He knew that his leader – ex-leader was strong, but… that much? "Someone explain to me how can this guy take on an army and still look so fresh."

"Boomburst, I would guess?" Tesla suggested. Among the many moves the Noivern knew, that was easily the most devastating one. "But you're not stupid, Garm. I'm sure you brought ghost-types and pokémon immune to sound-based attacks with you, didn't you?"

"I did, yes. I didn't want this to turn into a battlefield, but we did come prepared." Garm shot the Noivern a quick look only to turn his head aside soon after. "However, it wasn't his ill-famed Boomburst that gave us problems, but Dragon Pulse."

Zephyr squinted his eyes. Something about what Garm had just said didn't quite add up. "Wait, why Dragon Pulse? Even if it comes from a dragon, I'm fairly certain a Boomburst hurts more."

"Draco Plate," Zvonimir stated in a solemn voice, and then lowered his gaze towards a rectangular stone-like object of a dark reddish color resting near his feet.

Zephyr stared at the strange item for a moment trying to determine what it was, but nah, no clue. Better ask the chroniclers. "Kizzie, what is that?"

"Uh, well…" She basically had no idea, and she really didn't like that. Wasn't knowledge supposed to be her forte? She felt a bit relieved, at least, when she turned her head to her Galvantula tutor and found him in a similarly dumbfounded state. So it wasn't only her, then.

"Kizuna…? Do you have any idea what that item might be?" the spider asked.

"A… Fire Stone rolled flat?" While Kizuna had meant that as a joke, she briefly pondered if it could be. No, not possible, it was of a darker shade of red than a Fire Stone. "Did he call it a… Draco Plate?"

"According to him, it strengthens dragon-type attacks," Garm explained. "Never before have I heard talk of such an item, but I can attest that it does indeed function in the way he says. My men would not have fallen so easily otherwise."

"I see." Zephyr fired a quick look at the Kernel Ore, which remained completely unharmed. "So what will happen with this whole situation? I mean… are we just gonna let Zvonimir stay here?"

"As the leader of the Garnet Oriole it is my duty to ensure these kinds of events don't go unpunished. I will do something about this, yes, but I might need some time to prepare a counterattack. We never expected this 'Draco Plate' item to have such drastic effects."

"Are you sure you can solve this, Garm?" Tesla asked, sounding concerned.

Garm's answer was delayed by a few seconds, although it was unclear if it was due to hesitation or something else. "We might need some time to adapt to this 'Draco Plate', but I think we will be capable of stopping Zvonimir, yes. I know we can't afford to leave the Heptagonal Ring without Adamantium for long, we'll try to solve this incident as quickly as reasonably possible."

"All nodes have Adamantium reserves for emergencies," Zephyr noted. "I guess we should be okay for… I'm not sure, a few weeks or even one or two months. Hard to say."

"I trust this problem will have been solved by then," Garm assured.

"Oh… Very well, I'll trust you can take care of this," Tesla said. "Now, I should probably go back to the Observatory, I'm already somewhat late. I hope next time we see each other both this problem and the Observatory's are solved."

"We can only hope." Garm nodded in Tesla's general direction with closed eyes, trusting his aura senses more than his sight. "Until we meet again, Tesla."

"Yes. Let's hope next time we meet it isn't in front of a colossal dragon, even if it is a relatively tame one." Indeed, the Noivern had stayed unnervingly calm thorough their whole conversation, even though his defeat had been one of the main topics. "Kizuna, you'll be fine, right? If at any point you wish to return to the Observatory… well, you know the way already. The doors will be open."

"Ah, thanks, master, but I think I might stay a century or two," Kizuna said with a childish smile. Of course, their species didn't tend to be so long-lived, so she might as well have said she would stay until her death. Although she knew her stay could only be prolonged so much. "Really, I'll be fine. I'll be back when this whole thing with the Beacon ends, okay? But I have to stay here to keep you informed in the meanwhile."

"Very well then." Tesla wasn't really in the mood to argue. She wanted to stay? So be it. "And… Zephyr, I needn't tell you anything, do I?"

The Jolteon smirked to himself. What an obvious question. "Of course not, sir. When you come back, you'll find her as immaculate as she is now."

"I bet I'll even have shinier fur!" Kizuna said with a giggle.

"Mmh. Well, if you all agree, then I see no reason to delay my return to the Observatory. Take good care of yourselves."

Tesla then left for the Observatory, leaving the two eeveelutions alone with Garm and the still silent Zvonimir. It was when the spider left that Zephyr started to wonder where exactly the Observatory was, Kizuna had never told them. Maybe she wasn't even allowed to, the location of such a place was possibly a well-kept secret. At any rate, Tesla seemed to leave in direction to the Beryl Calandra, which made Zephyr wonder if the entrance was anywhere near the green node.

Nothing of that was relevant now, though. They were now alone with Garm and… well, there wasn't really much else to do, it's not like they stood a chance against the dragon. After saying their goodbyes to Garm, they both decided to leave the Conflux.

* * *

><p>"What you mean you couldn't get any? That's your job. We're kinda paying you for this, you know."<p>

Opal was talking to an Excadrill inside some kind of facility with metallic red walls, which like most every building in the Ring, was built out of Adamantium.

"Opal, I'm telling you there was a freaking purple dragon in front of the Kernel Ore. What did you expect me to do, throw dirt at him? Even Garm was having trouble with it!"

"Goddamit, wasn't the jackal going to solve this? What is he waiting for?" Opal recalled that Scylla had said before that Garm was going to take care of Zvonimir, but apparently that wasn't the case, since his workers hadn't been able to gather any Adamantium. Argh, stupid Lucario… Well, for the time being they would have to make do with their reserves, and hope the situation was resolved soon. "Well, whatever, that's what we have reserves for. How long do you think they will hold out?"

It took the Excadrill a few seconds to answer. "I'm not sure, but I'm guessing a few months at last. Much more than enough."

"Meh, this will be solved in two or three days anyway. Let's get back to work."

The Excadrill followed her 'suggestion', more like an order, and returned to his duties. Opal also considered doing the same, but of course she would first have to access the facility's Adamantium repository in order to get some material to work with.

The Amber Crane's Haecceity was quite different from all others, since it was the only one that wasn't actually used as a residence for their leader, but as a working facility for many members of the node. The fact that the Crane was, at the time, the only leaderless node helped matters somewhat, although it caused a worrying lack of coordination, so that's why some of the most influential and well-known workers of the node also doubled as self-appointed 'supervisors' of the whole production process.

Opal, being one of the few metalworkers associated with the node's defender guild, was one of these supervisors, and as the only one of them present at the Haecceity at the moment, it was up to her to fetch the required Adamantium from the main repository, which was located near the center of the Haecceity.

Once the Ninetales finally arrived at her destination after a very short walk, though, her eyes met something unusual near the repository. There was a big, furnace-like machine at the center of the area that acted as an energy source for the whole building, but that wasn't unusual. There was also a Flareon, but that wasn't unusual either, it was one she was familiarized with, her half-sibling Agni. No, what was unusual was the other pokémon 'conversing' with Agni, or rather arguing.

"…and look, you can insist all the day if you want, but I'm not gonna – Oh, Opal. Can you help me out with this guy? He doesn't listen."

Agni was referring to his interlocutor, who belonged to a species of pokémon neither Agni nor Opal were familiarized with. White fur, an apparently canine body with a contrasting feline face, and most strangely, a 'scythe' of sorts that seemed to be sprouting out of his head. It was clear it was actually a horn, but the shape itself was quite remarkable.

"What's the matter? Can we help you with anything?" Opal asked, approaching her brother while eyeing the stranger.

"Yes, and you'd have my gratitude if you did." His tone of voice sounded more polite and serene than Opal would have initially guessed given his rugged appearance. "I would like to request access to the interior of this contraption. A few seconds will suffice."

He seemed to be talking about the central core, the machine that bestowed energy to the whole facility. Of course, they couldn't let just anyone tamper with its insides. "Who are you, exactly? Are you new around here? I haven't seen you before," Opal noted. She wanted to think she had good memory, she would definitely have remembered someone with such a singular appearance.

The white-furred pokémon swung his head side to side, describing an arc in the air with his scythe. "No, I'm afraid I'm not among this place's workers."

"So… a citizen?"

"That would depend on your definition of 'citizen', I guess."

"Uh… Well, look, only authorized personnel are allowed access into this area. We hold guided tours some days, so feel free to come then. But now, I'm gonna have to kindly ask you to leave."

The intruder's gaze kept wavering between the Flareon and the Ninetales for a while. "I insist, it would merely take me a moment. Open the contraption for but a few seconds and then I will take my leave."

"Argh, why do you keep insisting?" Agni, who had been talking to him for a few minutes now, was starting to get quite fed-up with his insistence. "No, we can't give you access to the core. Why would you even want to see what's inside?"

"There's a certain item inside the machine that I would need. This will have no effect on its overall correct functioning."

"Seriously, leave. You're wasting your time."

The white-furred creature lowered his head and stared at the ground, apparently unsure of what to do, scratching the ruff over his chest while pondering his options. Options? What options? There was only one possible course of action. "I see good manners won't persuade you, so I shall try a more aggressive approach." In spite of having being denied access to the device, he still advanced forward toward it. "This machine isn't made of Adamantium. It was fabricated out of common iron and steels many millennia ago, by the ancestors that founded the Heptagonal Ring. I'll ask you one last time to open it, or else I'll be forced to tear the hatch apart to gain access to the inside."

The sudden change in attitude in the interloper, who had appeared calm and mannerly so far, made Agni recoil back out of sheer surprise. It's not that he felt fear, or at least that's what he desperately wanted to believe, but he couldn't help but raise his guard.

Opal, on her part, stepped between the stranger and the engine. As a defender, she couldn't let their property get vandalized in her presence. "Okay, pretty face, here's a deal: you leave this place right now, and in exchange I won't make your head more asymmetrical than it already is."

He just stopped in his tracks and glared at her dead in the eye. Not a smile, not a gesture, not a quiver, he just stood completely still. "Neither of you recognizes my species."

Opal and Agni exchanged a quick glance to confirm what they already knew, or rather what they didn't. What species was he? "No, we don't."

"That wasn't meant as a question, sorry if it seemed so. It's quite patent you aren't aware of my species, or else you wouldn't stay so calm in my presence."

Dear Arceus, how can someone be so full of themselves? Why did it matter what species he was, what would that change?

"Very well, I'll humor you," Opal said. "What species are you, and why should we care?"

"Absol." His answer was met with skeptical glares from both fire-types. Absol were said to be four-legged white-furred pokémon with scythes on their heads… and, yes, he fit that description. "Knowing that, will you kindly step aside?"

But could that really be? Could one of those mythical pokémon not only exist, but choose to appear at the Heptagonal Ring of all places? And more worryingly, were the things that were said about them true?

While Opal would have liked an answer to these questions, what mattered at the moment was ensuring the protection of the core machine. "Well, you could be Arceus himself and you'd still need an authorization to enter here. Turn around and leave."

But the Absol didn't move. He stood completely still, his gaze still fixed on the Ninetales, his facial expression firmly serious. Or maybe indifferent. It's as if he was staring off into the distance and the Ninetales just so happened to be in the way of his gaze. Agni wondered if the Absol was trying to intimidate his sister. If so, he didn't seem to be doing a good job, for Opal was still stoically standing before him, not moving an inch.

Opal was starting to get tired of waiting. "Hey, are we gonna stare into each other's eyes until we fall in love or are we gonna fight? We Ninetales are long lived, but not eternal."

And then, the Absol shifted his head slightly to the side, until his gaze settled on the Flareon.

Agni froze. The Absol had not moved from his place, but now he was glaring at him… Why was he scared? The Absol didn't look particularly frightening. It was not a big dragon or a creepy ghost, he shouldn't feel scared of a mammalian pokémon roughly his size, or slightly bigger at most. But still… it was oddly intimidating. What if the things they said were true? What if these pokémon could summon catastrophes at will? He didn't want to think he was scared, he told himself he wasn't scared, and yet, his heart was beating faster by the second.

Out of instinct, Opal jumped in front of Agni, fearing for her sibling's safety. However, this was what the Absol had anticipated, for when she looked back at him, he had apparently vanished.

"T-The machine!" Agni shouted.

But his warning was unnecessary, the shrieking metallic sound of the device's hatch being forced open would have been enough to catch the Ninetales' attention. In a ridiculously short amount of time, the Absol had managed to dash to the machine and tear its hatch apart with its curved horn, leaving the inner circuitry out in the open. The Absol was also holding between his teeth some kind of small object he had taken from the inside of the engine, presumably what he had come looking for.

What was that, exactly? Hopefully it wasn't needed for the machine to work, at least that's what the Absol had assured before, but Opal couldn't take the risk. "Choose: either you drop that, or I make you drop dead."

The Absol didn't seem intimidated, although maybe that was simply because his facial expression was hard to read. He left the item he had picked on the ground, displaying it for them to see. It was a small blue plaque of a seemingly abstract shape, perhaps a rock of some sort. That was what he was after?

"Ninetales, allow me to suggest a counteroffer: you let me leave with the shard and I don't turn this factory into a slaughterhouse." The Absol's expression didn't falter, either he was a great liar or his threat was genuine.

"O-Opal…" Agni's voice was quivering slightly but noticeably, perhaps a sign of fear, or at least of wariness. "What do we…?"

What do they do? Good question, the Ninetales thought. Stopping the Absol seemed like the most obvious answer, but… what if he intended to uphold his threat? What if his species genuinely could convoke disasters? Never mind her safety, or even Agni's, if the rumors were true then everyone in the Haecceity could be at risk.

_If_.

It still seemed more than a bit farfetched than a non-legendary pokémon could hold so much power. However, safety came first. "You're lucky I care for our workers' wellbeing. Were we alone, you'd already be pleading for mercy."

The Absol didn't bother answering back, he just picked the blue plaque up in his mouth again and started to walk away from the fire-types, leisurely. He didn't show any haste as he left, and he didn't bother looking back even once to check he wasn't being followed. Either he was fearless or overconfident.

Only after the Absol left his sight did Agni sigh relieved, his breathing returning to normal. They were safe now.

"Well… Let's get back to work." And just like that, Opal started to get some Adamantium to work with from their repository, as if nothing had happened. "That jackass might have rendered the engine unusable, but we can still work with the rest of machinery. More slowly than usual, but we'll have to adapt until it's repaired. I'll give the Nightingale a call tomorrow to see what they can do about this."

Agni just stared at his sister befuddled, his mouth half-open. She was showing a ridiculous amount of stoicism after what had just happened. "B-But… I mean, we just –"

"Well, he's not around anymore, is he? So let's get back to work, then. They don't pay us to chat."

"Uh… Y-Yes, but of course." The Absol had left, right? So there was no longer any danger, correct? Agni hoped so.

The machine the Absol had damaged was important to the Haecceity, but not essential, they could still work without it, although at a much slower rate. But that would have to do, at least for the time being.

Agni returned to his usual working routine, which basically consisted of heating Adamantium to different temperatures and occasionally giving them certain shapes. He quickly forgot about the Absol that had just 'visited' them, completely focusing on the work at hand. After all, the Absol's incursion was just an isolated event, and it wasn't something worth mulling over. Or at the very least, he desperately hoped such was the case.


	10. Meeting

"What the hell you mean an 'Absol'?"

"You know, those… white pokémon with a scythe on their he–"

"Yeah, I've heard the myths."

The previous day an Absol had assaulted the Amber Crane's Haecceity, which served as one of the main factories of the node, and had damaged a machine to the point of rendering it unusable. This particular machine acted as an energy source for the whole facility, so its unavailability severely hurt the node's productivity. That's precisely why they had contacted the Azure Nightingale to lend them a hand and try to repair the contraption.

What Agni wouldn't have expected is that they would send Lumis and Skoll for the job. While the Espeon took care of the engine, Skoll, who had been sent to protect him in virtue of being a defender, was chatting with Agni about the previous day's events that had led to the machine's current battered state.

"So you're telling me a freaking Absol destroyed this thing?" Skoll was finding Agni's retelling of the last day's events a bit difficult to believe. "So he was out there causing earthquakes and tornados and that kind of chill things Absol are known to do, and the he suddenly was like 'Dude, let's break some havoc in that place!'. I didn't even know Absol existed. Did you, Lum?"

"No. And stop distracting me." Luckily the engine wasn't too damaged, Lumis thought. In fact, it wasn't damaged at all, all the 'Absol' had done was scatter everything by forcefully removing the hatch. He guessed his 'reparations' wouldn't take him more than a few minutes. He was a bit surprised the workers of the Amber Crane hadn't done this themselves, it wasn't that hard.

"You know something must be really weird when not even Lumis knows about it. Absol, uh? You sure it wasn't an albino Mightyena or something?"

"Hey, I'm not blind, it looked just like those Absol pictures in children's books," Agni said, his wavering tone showing a slight discomfort. "I'm not lying."

"I know you're not lying. No offense, but you're not the kind of pokémon who could lie to me."

While Agni didn't like the way the Umbreon had worded it, he knew it to be true. Lies and deceit wouldn't escape a dark-type so easily. At the very least, he wasn't calling him a liar. "So you believe me."

"It's not that I simply 'believe' you. You just don't have the… capability of lying to me," Skoll said with a wide smile. He wasn't trying to sound belligerent, he was merely stating a fact, but Agni thought he could have worded it better. "Anyway, why did that Absol came here in the first place? I heard you guys say he took something from the machine."

"Whatever it was, it wasn't actually a part of the mechanism," Lumis said, still facing the engine, his back turned to them. "This is a really old and simple model, and it's not missing any pieces."

Agni turned now to the Espeon. "So whatever he took wasn't part of the machine? You think someone put it there?"

"I guess it's a possibility. Whatever it was, this machine doesn't need it to work properly," Lumis said.

Skoll directed a smirk at his Espeon friend. "So you tell us not to interrupt you, but then you're still listening to our conversation."

Lumis huffed. "Because you talk too loud, it's impossible not to hear you. Besides, I'll be done with this in just a few minutes."

Agni raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So quick?"

"The damage is minimal, mostly superficial. It isn't really a big deal."

"I see." Well, he wasn't gonna finish any time soon if they kept distracting him, Agni thought. He decided to return his attention to the Umbreon. "Anyway, I think I've seen the blue item the Absol stole inside the machine a few times in the past, but never gave it much importance. As far as I know, it's been there since forever, I thought it was part of the inner mechanism or something."

"A blue item?" Skoll repeated. That was a really vague description. "Like, a Water Stone or something like that?"

"Um… No, it didn't look much like a Water Stone. Or at least I think it didn't, I've never seen one outside of books. You think that might be the reason he wanted it? Because he mistook it with a Water Stone?"

"And why in the world would an Absol want one of those?" Skoll wondered, unconvinced. "They're not water-types, are they? They certainly don't look like they are. What type are they supposed to be?"

"No clue." Agni agreed that an Absol didn't look like a traditional water-type, though. "Maybe he doesn't want it to use it, but to sell it. Water Stones can sell for a lot, you know. They are incredibly expensive, much more than any other evolutionary item. I've never understood why."

"My work here is done. This device should be up and running again," Lumis said, turning around to face the Flareon and the Umbreon. "Oh, and I think I can explain the high price of Water Stones if you let me."

"Oh." Damn, that was fast. Agni had to admit he was a bit surprised with the diligence the Espeon had shown. Truly a professional like himself, just in a different discipline in a different node. Anyway, what was that he said about Water Stones? "And why would you know anything about Water Stones? You're not a Vaporeon."

"Dude, one of our many occupations back at the Azure Nightingale is the creation of evolution-inducing items," Skoll said, his muzzle pointing upwards with pride. "If somebody knows, that'd be us. Well, him. I'm just a defender myself."

"Do you know what we use as a base to create evolution items?" Lumis asked the Flareon.

"No."

"Adamantium." Lumis' answer didn't particularly surprise the Flareon. He had kind of expected it. "Specifically, we remove all water from Adamantium, turning it into a highly moldable compound. We then apply specific methods depending on the particular item we want to make, such as heating it up for Fire Stones or applying high voltages for Thunder Stones."

"I see." It didn't sound too complex to the Flareon, he was following the explanation without problem so far. "What about Water Stones? You fill it with water or something?"

"Yes, that's exactly what we do, but there's a problem, you see. Remember how we had to drain all water from Adamantium first? If we added water again, we'd be turning it back into conventional Adamantium," Lumis explained. "The process it's pretty complex, it requires the assistance of water and psychic-types in order to dampen it successfully without affecting its core, so that it doesn't devolve back into Adamantium. The procedure is slow, requires millimetric precision and usually involves many failed attempts. They're hard to make, is what I'm saying."

"Ah, so their high price is motivated by the difficulty of their production," Agni concluded. That made sense. "They are expensive because they are scarce."

"That's especially true here in the desert," Lumis added. "You can find elemental stones in nature wherever high concentrations of elemental energy occur, but of course, an arid desert isn't the optimal place to find Water Stones. If you stroll through the desert, you may find a Fire or even a Thunder Stone if you're lucky, but if you want a Water Stone your only choice is to create one artificially from Adamantium."

Yes, Agni knew that. Fire Stones were relatively common in the desert, what with the high temperatures and whatnot. But never mind that, the machine was working again, wasn't it? "Well, I'd like to thank you again in the name of the Amber Crane for your assistance."

"Oh, no, don't mention it. It's our job."

Agni offered Lumis his paw, which he then shook. The whole thing seemed unnecessarily formal to the Umbreon. "When you're done being all proper and formal, how about we go back to the Nightingale, Lum? Now that you've repaired that thing, these guys will want to start working."

"Ah, yes, indeed. I won't steal more of your time," Agni said. "In order to return to your node you'll have to go through the Conflux, right?" Indeed, at the south of the Heptagonal Ring, forming a line from left to right, one could find the Amber Crane, the Beryl Calandra and then the Azure Nightingale. The Conflux served as a direct passageway between the Crane and the Nightingale so that they could skip the Calandra and shorten their trip. Presumably, they must have already crossed the Conflux earlier that morning to get there in the first place. "Hey, is that guy still guarding the Kernel Ore there at the Conflux?"

"Who? The Noivern with the weird name?" Skoll wondered.

"Yeah, what happened about it? Zephyr told me yesterday that Garm wasn't able to defeat him."

"And he hasn't had any better luck yet, it seems," Lumis said. "We saw Zvonimir at the Conflux this morning on our way here."

"Damn. Let's hope this gets solved soon." Agni recalled Zephyr telling him something about a 'Draco Plate' the previous day. Could that have something to do with the Noivern's apparent invincibility? "Anyway, have a good travel. And thanks again."

After a bow from the Espeon and a quick paw salute from the Umbreon, both of them left the Crane's Haecceity and started their trip back home.

* * *

><p>A ruined castle. No matter where one looked, all the eye could see were the endless sands of the desert. At the distance, nothing but dancing sandstorms and the ever scorching sun. Certainly not the most hospitable place.<p>

A Luxray tried to take cover from the raging sands and the heat by sitting under the shadow projected by a small stone protrusion sticking out of a nearby wall, a remnant of what once was a ceiling. It was all in vain, though, for the nearly demolished wall did little to hamper the advance of the twirling sands. The lion scratched his eye, annoyed by some sand dust that had found its way into one of his eyes. "I know this may sound like a cliché in the mouth of an electric-type, but man, do I hate sand."

"Well, you have my condolences," a nearby Absol commented. Unlike the Luxray, the Absol wasn't even trying to take cover from the sandstorm; he was just lying down on the stone floor in the middle of the ruined castle. He did look annoyed, though. "I don't hold this place in high esteem either, you know that. I doubt any of us does."

The Luxray, Minos, took a look around him. A cold stone floor with some missing tiles. A multitude of walls, many of them broken. That up there might have been a ceiling once, he couldn't quite say for sure. What a horribly ruined place. Could this have been some sort of palace or castle in the past? If so, time certainly hadn't been kind to it. "Well, and what are we doing here gaping at the sands like a bunch of stupid Diglett, anyway? Seriously, if the sandstorm and the heat don't kill us, the boredom will."

"I agree, actually. We're showing too much passivity," the Absol complained.

"Gev, let's not rush things," a nearby Zoroark said, the only female among them. She was sitting atop a half-broken wall, seemingly not paying any mind to the intense sandstorm that was continuously hitting her. "We're not in any haste here, now are we?"

"You might not be, but I'm running against the clock myself," the Absol said. "And my name is 'Gevaudan', please avoid shortening it. Pet names are demeaning."

"Wow, cut her some slack, man. She's just trying to be nice," Minos said in the Zoroark's defense. "But I agree we should start acting already. What do you say about it, Naamah? Should we start looking for the other ones already?"

"You're both pretty impatient, uh? What need do we have to act with such haste?"

"This is the best time to act, actually," Gevaudan said, lazily getting up. "They're unprepared, they wouldn't expect us. If you give them time, well, that will only make things more difficult for us. I already got us one shard and it was remarkably easy. I say we go for another one, right now."

"Really impatient." Naamah pondered it for a second, and then jumped down to the floor. Well, why not? She did appreciate their eagerness to help, at least. "Now, we know the Amber Crane was the easiest one, but which one should we go after next?"

"Good question." Gevaudan lowered his head until his gaze met the floor. Oh god, those tiles were ugly as sin. Who built this palace in the first place? "For starters, I guess we could discuss which ones to discard, in order to make the selection process simpler. For instance, we can discard the obvious one."

"You mean the Lilac Kiwi's?" Naamah asked.

"Indeed, I say we leave that one for last. Now, what about the others?"

"Uh… We got a cactus and two pokémon immune to sandstorms. Oh, and a Floatzel." As if to illustrate her point, Naamah morphed into one of the water-type weasels. It was of note that her particular transformation bore a striking resemblance to the Floatzel Euria, Scylla's aunt. She had presumably used her as a base for her transformation. "Floatzel don't like the desert much, do they? I doubt one of them would leave the node, so it's probably inside. Maybe we should check the Coral Sittella next, then."

"Sounds like the most reasonable choice, yes." The Absol nodded. "Should I go myself again?"

Naamah, still in her Floatzel form, nodded, seemingly not finding any problem with the Absol's plan. Minos, though, looked less enthusiastic, his mouth showing a soft wince. "How about I go instead?"

"I have no problem with that, as long as you get the work done," was Gevaudan's quick response to the Luxray. "May I inquire as to why, though? Out of curiosity."

"It was a Floatzel, right? Then I should talk to Euria, maybe she knows something about it," the electric lion said. "Or do you prefer to go yourself, Naamah?"

The Zoroark dispelled her illusion, returning back to her usual body, and crossed her arms. "No, I already tried, but she rejected my offer. I feel like… maybe she isn't too fond of me."

"What? Nah, don't say things like that. You know how Euria is, she sometimes overreacts a bit, but she doesn't really mean it."

"I hope. At any rate, I'm sure you would have better luck with her than me, Minos."

"Mmh. Then, as I was saying, I'll go myself. I'll tell Kay to bring me there."

Neither the Zoroark nor the Absol complained.

* * *

><p>The Garnet Oriole held the single biggest Haecceity in the Heptagonal Ring. Given its colossal size, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a palace with reddish crystal-walls. Since it was so spacious, it was of course one of the best places of reunion for the leaders of the nodes, so whenever they needed to gather for any reason, they tended to go there.<p>

This was one of those occasions. A Linoone entered the interior of the palace-like building, finding a myriad of different pokémon from different nodes inside, most of which he quickly recognized. Those two on the left side chatting between themselves were the Lilligant Alyssa from the nearby Coral Sittella and the Serperior Soren from the Azure Nightingale, two of the leaders of the Heptagonal Ring. He also easily identified the Lucario Garm, leader of the node they were at, sitting near the center of the room, acting as the host. Lastly, he saw a… Ninetales, were they called? Probably a representative of the Amber Crane, he thought he had seen her once or twice in previous gatherings.

"Finally," Garm said, trying to hide his impatience.

"Please excuse my lateness. I'm getting old, and these legs are rather short."

"No mind. Now that Linze is here, all leaders, as well as the Amber Crane's representative, are gathered."

Linze took another look around the room. Had he missed someone? No, including himself, there were only five creatures present, so clearly two of the nodes' representatives were missing. Given Zvonimir's recent behavior, his node's absence was expected, but what about the seventh node?

"Isn't he leader of the Lilac Kiwi missing?" the Linoone asked.

"Yes, she is," Garm replied in a tired, cold tone, his ears lowering slightly. "As usual."

Alyssa brought her leaf-like arms behind her head and started laughing out loud. "When has the old hag come to on' of our reunions, Linze?"

"I guess…" Truth be told, Linze didn't remember having ever seen the Kiwi's leader. Oh well, if she didn't want to come, there wasn't much they could do about it. They might as well start the gathering with only five members. "So why have you summoned us here today, Garm?"

"Watcha think?" The Lilligant extended her arms to emulate a winged creature. "Hint: it has wings and it's 'bout the size of Soren 'ere."

Linze had guessed as much. "Zvonimir, then. I was also quite surprised to find out his allegiances lie with a criminal team."

"They called them 'Beacon' or something to that effect, uh? Truly a peculiar name," Soren said. He thought of making a joke or a play on words with it, but this wasn't the time. This was supposed to be a serious meeting. "What are we gonna do about them?"

"I'm working together with the chroniclers to solve this issue before it escalates out of proportion," Garm said. "Right now, our most urgent priority is driving Zvonimir out of the Conflux to allow the Amber Crane's worker to gather Adamantium once again."

"Yeah, that's what I was gonna complain about." Opal found her opportunity to speak up. She might have been the only non-leader present, due to the Amber Crane being leaderless, but her node was as important as any other, she thought. "What's up with that? Why is that overgrown bat still loitering around the Conflux, obstructing my workers' attempts at gathering Adamantium? Shouldn't this have been solved already, like, five minutes after it happened?"

"Indeed, it is our duty to prevent this kind of event from occurring. As the leader of the Garnet Oriole, I'd like to issue an apology in the name of the node for allowing this to happen."

The jackal then proceeded to lower his head in a bow of submission. While a well-intentioned gesture, Opal ultimately considered it hollow. "Nice words, but if you're so sorry, how about you do something about it?"

"Indeed, that is why I called you all here today," the Lucario continued. "Zvonimir doesn't listen to reason, so, as much as it pains me, we'll be forced to take him down by force."

"And what's the hold up?" Alyssa wondered.

"We tried facing him already, but all of our efforts were fruitless. That's why I wanted to gather you all here, to inform all nodes that this might take us… longer than initially expected, unfortunately."

"Wait, what's the big deal?" Soren wondered. "Noivern are, what, Flying/Dragon? It should be easy for an ice-type to take him down."

"Yes, we tried that. It didn't work."

"Oh, because of Boomburst, maybe?" It was a well-known fact that that attack was one of the most dangerous in a Noivern's repertory, but that didn't seem like an excuse to Soren. "But there are many ways around that, you know. There are many pokémon unaffected by sound attacks, or you could just launch ghost-types at him."

"We tried that, too. The true problem here is not Boomburst, but his dragon-type moves," Garm explained. "I'm sure you have all already heard about it, but Zvonimir has a peculiar item which he calls 'Draco Plate' that apparently strengthens his dragon-type moves. We still don't understand how it works. We had never seen anything even remotely similar."

"Oh, yes, indeed, I heard about that 'plate', but I thought it was merely a townsfolk rumor," Linze said. "Never in my many years as a merchant have I come across an item that would exhibit that kind of power."

"Same here," Soren said. "I've worked with many weird materials and compounds in my life, but I had never heard of such a weird item. I mean, how does that even work?"

"We don't know," Garm replied, closing his eyes. "Not even the chroniclers do." Of course, while the existence of the chroniclers was hidden to the general public, the leaders were at the very least aware of their existence, even if most of them had had no contact with any chronicler in their lives. "I called you all here today so that you would all be aware of all this. We will all have to make do with our Adamantium reserves for a few days, so plan your nodes' activities accordingly."

"Well, if it's just a few days…" Alyssa was the first one to show support for the Lucario. Their reserves could easily last a month or two; they could afford to wait a few days until the Oriole solved the current situation. "At the very least Zvo ain't attacking no one, jus' like he said."

"That much is true," Opal said. "I did see him at the Conflux on my way here, but he just ignored me."

"Yes, that seems to be the case," Linze said. "He even bothered send a messenger to our node to deliver the money from our last transaction, even after he left his node. I guess he got it all prepared before leaving."

"Transaction?" Soren asked. "What transaction?"

"Well, he wanted some medicines, so I sent my daughters to bring them to him," Linze said, recalling the events that took place a few days ago. "I wonder if he wanted them for Flutura. In fact, how is she? What does she think about all this?"

"I visited the lil' poor thing yesterday," Alyssa said. "She ain't gettin' any better."

"Oh, my bad. She must be worried ill about him, now that he has abandoned the Warbler," Linze said. "Talking of which, how are things going at that node? Are they going to appoint a new leader or wait for Zvonimir to have a change of heart?"

"From what I heard yesterday, they're in the process of namin' a new leader," she explained. "Good for 'em. Anyway, all's clear now, right? Do we dissolve the meetin' and go back to our nodes now?"

"Yes, I would not wish to take more of your time than necessary," Garm said. "Again, I'm really sorry it had come to this. I didn't image the Beacon would prove to be so much of a nuisance, I hadn't even heard of them prior to this. I underestimated the warning that Sylveon chronicler brought me."

"Kizuna?" Linze wondered. Not many pokémon met the 'Sylveon chronicler' description.

"Yes."

"Ah, that gal was one of 'em chroniclers?" Alyssa raised her voice in surprise. She recalled the Sylveon's visit to her Haecceity a few days ago, but back then all they told her was that she was one of Scylla's friends. Nobody told her anything about chroniclers. "Who would've thought?"

"Who?" Soren asked. As luck would have it, he was the only one of them unacquainted with the Sylveon. Kizuna had traveled through the west side of the Ring, from the Calandra to the Oriole, but his node fell on the east side. "A Sylveon chronicler, you say? That's, uh, that's an evolution of Eevee, right?"

"Yes, big boy. You're s'posed to be the scientist here, y'know." Alyssa had a small chuckle. These meetings were kind of fun, she thought, but she should be going back to her Coral Sittella already. "Well, it's 'bout time I went back to my node. Be seein' ya."

"Yes, I guess I should be going back too," Linze said. "We'll have to cross the Conflux. Are you coming, Soren, Ninetales?" Argh, how discourteous, he didn't remember the Ninetales' name. Every time the leaders held a meeting the Amber Crane sent a different representative, and it was hard remembering the names of all of them.

"Oh, sure. They'll be missing me back at my node," the Ninetales replied, apparently not minding that he didn't remember her name.

Soren took a few seconds before answering, apparently pondering over something. "Um… Yes, yes, I guess I should go with you. Let's go, then."

Now that they all had agreed to leave, they did just that. Well, the life of a leader is very time consuming, you see, so their haste was comprehensible. Thus, they left the Oriole's Haecceity, entered the Conflux, and then returned to their respective nodes.

* * *

><p>The Coral Sittella, the orange node, founded on the ideas of compassion and harmony, perhaps the most unassuming node, or at least the less conflictive one.<p>

Scylla was spending the day at the Coral Sittella, since her troupe of travelling held an event at that node that day, and she was now enjoying some free time. The Vaporeon had been born at the Coral Sittella, and she had met many friends and acquaintances at the orange node before eventually moving to the Lilac Kiwi a few years ago. One of her most dear acquaintances, which she was now visiting, was also part of her family: the Floatzel Euria, his father's sister, and thus her aunt.

"…and my troupe needed to make some quick preparations before our next event, so I decided to come make you a little visit while they get everything ready."

Scylla was explaining the motive of her sudden visit to Euria, and judging by the otter's facial expression, she didn't seem to mind her presence. "That's good to hear, hun, but you must be really busy, are you sure you want to waste what little free time you have with me?"

"Ah, yeah… Well, none of my friends are around, so…"

Euria chuckled weakly. "I'm the backup, uh?"

"N-No! It's… I mean…"

"It's okay, dear, it's okay." The Floatzel smiled and waved her hand. "Of course you'd prefer your friends over your family. I can understand that, I've been young too – I mean, I'm still young, I understand you perfectly."

They shared a few laughs and some quick stories, whatever helped them pass the time. It wouldn't be long before Scylla's crew would be done with their preparations and she would be required again, so they wanted to make the most of the little time they had. It was mostly a conventional and uneventful family bonding time.

That is, until the blue lion appeared. Scylla reacted with surprise at his sudden appearance, while the Floatzel just directed a quick glare in his direction and then looked away.

"We were having a pretty good time until you appeared." Euria wasn't ecstatic about the Luxray's presence, which she made obvious with her attitude. She didn't even bother looking in his general direction. "What do you want? Say whatever you have to say and leave."

"Ouch. Angry?"

"Of course not. I learnt the other day that my best friend is a criminal, and that totally made my day. If I'm not looking at you right now it's out of fear I might blind you with my dazzling smile."

"Yup, angry." Minos chuckled softly between his teeth. He didn't look down, but he wasn't all too cheery either.

Scylla, who had been perplexedly staring at the Luxray, finally found the strength to talk. "Minos, what in the… You know you are a wanted criminal, right? I mean… damn, according to our laws, we are supposed to contact the Oriole if we spot a criminal. You can't just appear before us like that…"

"Indeed," Euria said. "Give us a good reason not to contact the police. Maybe some jail time would help you clear your head up a bit."

"Harsh, Euria." Minos gritted his teeth and looked away for a second, not looking angry, but a bit hurt. "Don't worry, it'll be just a moment and then I'll leave. I've come to talk to you, Euria."

For the first time since the Luxray had arrived, Euria stared at him, with a glint of curiosity and maybe hope in her eyes. "Me? Talk about what?"

"Well… you're a Floatzel, right?"

"So your eyes aren't malfunctioning, only your brain is. Good to know."

"That's a yes. Well, if you wanted to… hide some item, where would you hide it?"

Euria shot Scylla a quick glance, not understanding the question, but the Vaporeon seemed as lost as her. "What are you talking about now?"

Minos pawed at the ground for a short while, thinking of how to rephrase his question. He might not have had a way with words, but the oddness of the question didn't help matters. "Uh… like, let's say you have a really important item, and you don't want anyone to see it or find it. Where would you hide it?"

Again, Euria looked at Scylla, and again, the Vaporeon seemed completely lost, not unlike the Floatzel. "No, still don't understand you. If I had to hide something, I would do it somewhere where no one can find it, isn't that obvious?"

"Oh, you mean like a place only you can reach?" Minos sat dawn and tapped his paw against his muzzle. "For a Floatzel, that means… Uh, your species are really good swimmers, right, Euria? You can, like, swim in waters with strong currents and that kind of thing."

"Yes, these twin tails gave us a lot of maneuverability in water," Euria said, checking her own tails. Scylla and Minos also fired a quick glance at her tails. "Why that strange question?"

"You see, I… I'd like you to help me find an item in this node," Minos replied. He received dumbfounded stares in response. "It's, uh… I think there's an item we need somewhere in this node, somewhere with strong currents, and I'm sure a Floatzel like you would be better suited to search for it than me."

Scylla looked cautiously at the two pokémon conversing before her, especially Euria. She knew her aunt well enough to know that the Floatzel was seething, as much as she was trying to hide it, and judging by the Luxray's face, her emotional state didn't escape him either.

"Minos, let's see if I get this straight: you want me to help you find an 'item' in this node for your criminal group of friends. So, basically, you want me to be an accomplice of your plans. Am I right so far?"

"No, I can't say you are." Minos shook his head. "We're not criminals. I don't know why you keep calling us that."

Euria crossed her arms, turning her head away from him again. "Well, forgive me. I'm unfairly judgmental with people that throw dragon-bats at us to stop us from gathering our most valuable resource. Little defect I have."

"Oh, c'mon, it's not… Hell, if you put it like that it almost sounds like we are the bad guys here."

"Gee, I wonder why." Euria took a deep sigh and returned her gaze to Minos. She wanted this discussion to end now. "Give me a good reason why I should help you."

"Well, uh… um…" This had played out better in his head. He hadn't expected her to be so uncooperative. "I mean, that's what friends do, right? Help each other."

Oh no, he didn't. Euria didn't say anything, her face was indicative enough of her current emotional state. Even Scylla backed down a few steps away from her.

Seeing he wasn't going to convince her by pushing that angle, Minos decided to try something different. "Okay, how about his: if you find me this item, I'll tell you why I joined the Beacon."

Both water-types immediately looked at the Luxray with interest, but the Floatzel's interest seemed to fade away in a matter of seconds. "Minos, I'm not stupid. I know perfectly why you're in that group."

Scylla hadn't talked much, preferring to just observe them talk so far, but what Euria had just said had her intrigued. "What? You do?"

"Oh, you want to know, Scylla, dear?" Euria's tone sounded rather derisive, although it wasn't directed at the Vaporeon. "It's simple. It's because this moron skipped class when they taught us how to control our most basic instincts."

Scylla looked at the Floatzel wide-eyed, but mostly because she didn't quite understand what she meant. "What…?"

"I second that 'what'," Minos said, seeming similarly confused. "What do you mean, Euria?"

"Remember that dark-furred vixen on top of the stage at the Conflux the day of the 7777th anniversary? Zoroark, they call them. Well, she's the reason he's in that team in the first place."

Scylla slowly turned her head towards the Luxray, seeming quite confused, while the lion just stared at the Floatzel with a similar expression on his face. "That's not quite true. I'm not in the Beacon because – I mean, yes, I'm in the Beacon because of Naamah, but it's not like… I think you're misinterpreting something here, Euria."

"I don't care. You're old enough already, you're free to do whatever you want."

"Really, find me this item and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Anything…?"

"Anything."

The Floatzel glanced around for a while, considering her options. Her gaze eventually set on the Vaporeon. "What should I do, Scylla? Do I help him or…?"

"Why are you asking me?" Scylla was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of the question. Sure, she had known Minos for most of her life, but it's not like they were the closest of friends. "That's… up to you, I guess."

After a few seconds of contemplative silence Euria finally spoke up, her eyes still avoiding the lion. "…What does that item look like?"

"Ah? You're helping me after all?" Minos wasn't expecting that change of heart, given how angry the otter had looked mere moments ago, and judging by the surprised expression the Vaporeon wore on her face, Scylla hadn't expected such an abrupt change in temperament either. The last thing the Luxray wanted to do was further enrage the Floatzel by making her wait, so he answered promptly. "Well, it's like… a small blue stone. It kinda looks like a rock."

"Can't you be more descriptive?"

"It's, uh, of a very solid blue. I think it's pretty hard to miss, once you find it, that is."

After another short pause, the Floatzel turned to Scylla and started to walk away. "Sweetie, wait for me just a few minutes, will you? I'll go check a pond near the middle of the node, since that's the most turbulent body of water you'll find around. I'll be back in a jiffy."

"You're going, then? I mean…" Scylla contemplated objecting, but Euria seemed to have her mind set on searching for that item, so it would have probably been pointless. This all still seemed fishy to the fish-tailed eeveelution. Wasn't Minos supposedly a delinquent? Should Euria really be helping him, knowing that? But he wasn't a bad guy, she was convinced of that. Plus, she was curious as to why he had joined the Beacon too. "W-Well… Make haste."

"It'll take me just a moment."

Euria parted in search of this mysterious 'item' the Luxray was looking for. He said it was somewhere with strong currents, right? The small pond near the node's center she had mentioned before seemed like the most obvious place. Its currents were quite famous, especially among Floatzel, who tended to use the turbulent currents as a training ground for their swimming skills.

Scylla was left alone with the Luxray, who spent most of his time looking around the place thoughtlessly. She decided she might as well strike up a conversation to kill time until Euria came back. "So why did you join the Beacon after all? Was it the Zoroark, like Euria said?"

"No, it's – Well, yes, but not like that."

"C'mon, be sincere. I promise I won't tell her."

"Again, it's not like that," the Luxray once again insisted. "But seriously, let's just wait until Euria comes back with the shard, then I'll tell you two anything you want to know."

"Mmh, okay." No point in insisting, Scylla thought.

"By the way, uh… No, never mind."

"What?"

"No, it's just… Nah, forget it. You would say no."

But the more he refused to talk, the more intrigued Scylla became. "No, what?"

Minos shrugged faintly. "It's just… We kinda need a water-type in our team, and since Euria refused to join us, I was wondering if maybe…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but he didn't need to. Scylla easily inferred what he was suggesting, which caused her to inadvertently raise an eyebrow. "Are you inviting me to join your group? Seriously, Minos?" She was slightly offended that he had even made the offer, but managed to hide it relatively well.

"Yeah, as I said we need a water-type in Beacon… but I guess it ain't gonna be you, uh?" Minos looked away with a faint, almost melancholic grin. "Uh, 'cause you're not interested, right?"

"In joining a criminal band? No, it's not in my list of priorities, to be honest."

"Figured as much."

Less than ten minutes had elapsed when the Floatzel appeared before them, holding a clear-blue stone-like item. "Is this it, Minos?"

"Ah, yep! That's the one!" Indeed, it looked really similar to the one Gevaudan had brought from the Amber Crane the previous day. It had to be a shard.

Minos extended one of his paws to pick up the stone, but Euria moved it away from him, pressing it against her body with both of her hands. "Whoa, not so fast. Remember our deal, right? Questions first, you can get this thing later."

The Luxray just stared at her silently for a brief moment, his arm still extended in the air, making the Floatzel feel a shred of fear. What if he was planning to attack? As a water-type, she was no match for him. And what if she fought back and Scylla got caught in the crossfire? Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all. Maybe she hadn't thought this trough.

But much to her relief, Minos eventually backed down, retracting his arm. "That's a'ight. Ask away."

For a moment, Euria felt silly for having even considered something like that. "Why did you join Beacon, or whatever your group is called?"

Minos didn't answer straight away, he wanted to make sure he chose his words carefully first. "Well, Naamah asked, and you know… Hell, what surprises me the most is that you're not in the Beacon with us too. Didn't Naamah contact you?"

"Oh, yes, she did. That lunatic," Euria said, with an obvious tone of contempt.

"Hey, don't be like that… She's a friend too."

"Sure. A 'friend'."

Minos let out a tired growl. "Look, think whatever you want. I'm doing this because she's our friend. I'm doing the correct thing."

What surprised the silent Scylla the most was the apparent familiarity with which both Euria and Minos were talking about Naamah. But didn't Kizuna say that the Observatory had been giving them trouble for seven months? If Naamah had been rallying members for the Beacon for that duration of time, then the Floatzel and the Luxray could ostensibly had known the Zoroark for up to seven months, which would explain their forwardness when talking about her.

"Just take this and leave. We're done talking." Euria threw the item she had gathered towards the Luxray, who promptly picked it up. The Floatzel facial expression was difficult to discern, like a mixture of pain and tiredness.

Scylla decided to ask the obvious question, wondering why the Floatzel hadn't asked it yet. "What is that item, anyway?"

"This?" Minos took a look at the item, now in one of his paws. "It's a, uh, we call them 'shards'."

"Shards," Scylla repeated. "As in plural."

"Yeah, there are… there is one for each of us ancestors. You know, they hid each of them at their nodes and…" Minos paused. Should he really be telling them about this? "Or maybe I shouldn't be saying all this."

"Euria…" Scylla leered at the 'shard' cautiously, as if it were to suddenly jump at her. "I'm thinking maybe you shouldn't have given that to him."

"And now you tell me?" Euria also gazed at the shard, not finding anything peculiar about it, other than its vivid blue color. "What's the matter? It's just a stupid rock. Just a stupid rock with a weird color."

"True, but I don't know… If the Beacon wants it, they must have a reason," Scylla said. "Hey, Minos, how about, uh… how about you hand that back to us?"

Minos stared wide-eyed at the Vaporeon. Nonononono, she shouldn't be asking that, why was she asking that? "I, uh, no, I can't do that. This is for the Beacon."

Scylla wondered what to do. Should she press on? She wasn't sure whether leaving the shard in the Beacon's hands was dangerous or not, she didn't even know what its purpose was, but she couldn't help but mistrust their intentions. But on the other hand, she couldn't stand a chance against an electric-type like Minos, nor did she want to fight him in the first place.

She took a single step forward, her glare focused on the Luxray. She wasn't sure what she was doing.

"Scylla, I'm sorry but I'm bringing this shard to the Beacon whether you like it or not. Step back." While Minos tried to appear stoic and unmoving, his voice was slightly shaking, enough for the Vaporeon to notice.

This brought a subtle grin to her face. "Or what?"

"Or… Scylla, I'm not telling you twice. Step back." Again, he tried to sound firm, and he was slightly more successful this time.

"Scylla, back down," Euria said, almost in a commanding tone. She was convinced Minos would not attack her niece, but she didn't want to risk seeing her hurt.

Scylla would be lying if she said she wasn't scared at all. Thankfully, her artistic training paid off in this kind of situation, as no external observer would have assumed she felt even the slightest fear. "Minos, let's be realistic here. You're not going to harm us."

"Scylla…" Minos took a step back, unconsciously. He just didn't know what to say.

This was going better than she had expected. Seeing his submission, Scylla took a few more tentative steps forward. "Let's do this: you leave that thing on the floor where we all can see it and we talk about all this calmly. How does it sound?"

Minos couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to fight. He just wanted out of there.

The next thing they saw was a light, a bright, blinding light that covered their whole vision. They had to close their eyes, or risk going blind. Scylla felt a sense of déjà vu, recalling the similar scene that had occurred just two days back, the night of the Ring's anniversary, in which Minos had similarly used Flash to block their vision and escape.

They reopened their eyes after a few seconds confirming that, just as they had guessed, the Luxray had just performed an escape maneuver. He didn't seem to be around anymore, neither was the shard, for that matter.

"Maybe it's for the best," Euria said, in a low tone. "The less we're involved with those guys the better. Let's just leave them to the Garnet Oriole, Scylla, dear."

"But… Minos is with them…"

"Sweetheart, don't let that affect you."

"Uh? No, it doesn't affect _me_," Scylla said with a shake of head. "I was more worried about you, Euria. Are you okay with this?"

Euria directed her glance to a nearby small lake, staring at her own reflection. "Well, it's not like there's much I can do. Again, let's just leave this to the Oriole."

"I guess…"

Still, what Minos had told them about the shards sounded rather interesting, didn't it? Scylla thought maybe she should talk about this with Kizuna, and maybe the rest of eeveelutions. In fact, why not use this as an excuse to gather the group again? Since it was weekend in two days, maybe she could pull a few strings and organize a meeting in two days with them at the Lilac Ki–

"Hey, Scylla, darling, don't you think your troupe will be done already?" Euria reminded her.

Why, yes, most likely. She had completely forgotten about them. "Yep, you're right. Guess I should go back to them. Ciao, Euria!"

"Have fun, and don't work too much!"

As she returned to her troupe, she kept thinking about the potential reunion with the rest of eeveelutions. Why not? It's not like she had much else to do on weekends. She would make sure to send messengers to each of their nodes to inform all of them about their little 'meeting' in two days.


End file.
